Last night’s episode of the ABC television show “Private Practice” was promoted, both to the public and to the members of Postpartum Support International, as one about postpartum depression, but — surprise, surprise — it immediately devolved into a show about postpartum psychosis and a mom attempting to kill her child by holding her down under the water in the bathtub.
Every time the media, whether entertainment or news, chooses to cover perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, the portrayal is always of some out-of-control woman committing or attempting to commit infanticide. They NEVER represent the fact that 99.99% of women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (including PPD and psychosis) NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER do anything to harm a hair on their infants’ heads. That all of them are very good and loving mothers who simply have an illness that requires treatment. They never represent the fact that there is so much more to these illnesses and that postpartum depression is very common and treatable. They make it seem like every mom who does have postpartum psychosis ends up killing their child.
In the name of getting more viewers for “Private Practice,” ABC and the shows producers have irresponsibly represented perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and potentially traumatized HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of new mothers. Just ask yourself how many husbands, family members and friends who saw the show are looking at the new moms around them today wondering whether they’re capable of murder? Just ask yourself how many moms are not going to reach out for treatment because they now think their babies will be taken away as the character’s was?
There were so many things wrong with the storyline that I don’t know where to begin. The symptoms the mother presented could have been postpartum depression (feeling overwhelmed, having problems sleeping), postpartum anxiety (constant worries about the baby) or psychosis (mania, hearing her baby crying — which at first indication seemed like she was hallucinating but then the mom actually finds the baby in the lobby and it IS crying). Every mom who saw the show with any of these symptoms potentially now sees herself as psychotic, which is most likely not the case. And even if she is psychotic, she can get treatment and recover and move on. . Violet, the therapist on the show played by Amy Brenneman, may be one of the worst ever to practice therapy on the planet. She displays very little knowledge of these illnesses and how to treat them in both her words and deeds, and she shows more concern for herself than the client. She lets her own personal problems completely interfere with the treatment of her patient. Her line “She could snap her neck” almost gave me a complete heart attack. I can’t share with you the string of swear words I used at that utterance. As one of my son’s storybooks says: I’m 10 X 10 furious, which is 100% furious.
As the PR Chair for Postpartum Support International, it was my responsibility to write the text of ABC’s public service announcement. I happily did so because I was excited about the opportunity to educate millions of people, and I wrote it about postpartum depression because that is the direction I was given. Had I been given more truthful information up front, I could have written something completely different and more appropriate to the episode. Since I didn’t, the PSA just continues to blur the lines between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis as if they are one in the same.
To make things worse, despite Postpartum Support International being informed it would happen, there was NO message at the end of the show offering a link to ABC’s website and the public service announcement. This means viewers were completely unaware they could go to the “Private Practice” section of ABC.com and get the PSI web address and phone number to get more information and support. I checked twice, using my TIVO to go through the end of the show frame by frame in case the message flipped by fast and I missed it. They did have enough time, I notice, to inform me that the show’s costume designer was Cynthia Bergstrom and that the department head hair stylist was Gwyne Redner. I guess it was more important to use that time to promote next week’s crossover episodes between “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.”
To make things EVEN worse, the “Private Practice” website now has a poll with the following question: “Should a woman undergoing psychiatric treatment after nearly drowning her child be allowed to see the baby?” Possible answers: Yes, it will motivate her to get better or No, She can’t be trusted right now. Gee, I wonder how the public will respond … Fortunately, as of now, the poll shows more people answering Yes, but that’s only because I and all my colleagues have been rushing to the site to answer it. Does ABC think that poll is particularly helpful? Was that part of its strategy to help others and destigmatize these illnesses?
Additionally, the show’s Medical Researcher’s Blog, written by Moira McMahon, does a fairly lousy job of explaining postpartum psychosis, and doesn’t mention any of the other illnesses in the perinatal mood and anxiety disorder spectrum and how they may be different, or even how rare psychosis is. At the end of her post, she writes:
“But should a woman who almost drowned her baby have access to her child?
And how did her husband miss her mental illness?
What would you do?”
Wow. That goes a long way in eliminating stigma. Or helping people understand the treatability of these illnesses. Or helping husbands know what signs to look for. Or helping new mothers feel safe in reaching out for help.
There’s no point in complaining to ABC about it — they’ll just say it was out of their control, they tried, there was no space, time, etc. I know how it works. I’ve worked at a Fortune 100 corporation — it’s always easier to beg for forgiveness after the fact than to do what you should. If I did complain directly, they’d argue that at least they covered the topic and that they did put together the 22-second PSA featuring actress Amy Brenneman (standing in a corner) on their site which they didn’t have to do. That is true. But it doesn’t excuse the fact that it was possible to do this entire thing much more responsibly. They could have listened to admonitions to please not do the show on postpartum psychosis. They could have consulted true experts on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders to get it right. They could have aired the link to the PSA that they promised. If you say you want to help others, why not follow through on it 100 percent?
Just as I stopped going to Tom Cruise movies, I will not watch “Private Practice” ever again. In fact, I may stop watching my favorite ABC show “Grey’s Anatomy” and switch over to NBC which has equally compelling shows in the 9pm EST time slot (”The Office” and “30 Rock”). I ask you to please join me to PULL THE PLUG ON PRIVATE PRACTICE. C’mon ladies and gents, use your voices.
And, no, I’m not overreacting, and here’s why: We have to start somewhere. We have to stand up at some point and let the media know the way they treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and mental illness in general, is unacceptable. We have to tell them that the power they have to influence and move others is much too enormous to be improperly used. We have to make sure the information that moms and moms-to-be receive is correct and measured and encourages them to get the treatment they need. We have a responsibility to help the infants in our country have healthy mothers. If we don’t make our feelings known loud and clear nothing will ever change. We owe it to many millions of women who will suffer perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the next decade.
If you plan to stop watching “Private Practice”, email me at stonecallis@msn.com or visit Postpartum Progress. I also encourage you to write about this on your own blogs and use the tag “Pull the Plug on Private Practice.”
Here are some other bloggers’ takes on this:
Susan Stone at Perinatal Pro: “ABC’s Private (Mal)Practice Fails to Present the Facts In a Botched Opportunity to Raise PPD Awareness”:
“Postpartum psychosis is extremely rare with incidence less than 2% and was not accurately presented in this three ring circus. The implication that postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are interchangeable labels is incredibly irresponsible.But the show’s mothers weren’t the only target of ignorance and blatant indifference to client care. The show also managed to insult every health care professional associated with the mother’s illness. The therapist came off as a clueless, self-absorbed nut case who failed to advocate for her client …”
Lauren Hale at Unexpected Blessing: “ABC’s Private Practice Misses the Mark”
“Then Violet didn’t want to give the baby back to the mother for fear that THEY would be the ones thought of as “what were you thinking!?” We work SO hard to fight against the myth that a mother’s baby will be taken from her if she seeks help. I can’t help but think about how many new moms saw this show and may possibly avoid seeking help because of this portrayal.”Amber at Beyond Postpartum: “Does ABC Care?”:
“WHY did Rachel have to hold the baby under the bathwater when she fell? … This was a great opportunity to go down a different path. To talk about something more common and educate a population of Americans who are VERY unsympathetic and completely filled with rage. Below each and every national media article about postpartum psychosis you see hundreds of comments from angry people who do not understand postpartum mood disorders. They chastise the women who suffer and offer no sympathy. They make statements like, “How could she do this to a helpless child? She was not sick, she was just selfish.” Those of us who have suffered or know someone who did know better. But look people, MOST Americans are not educated and need to be. Let’s utilize the means that we have to help them to learn…to understand…to see the full story and to find their way to a place where in America routine screening, referral and treatment are no longer options but mandatory steps in the postpartum period.I think ABC lost an opportunity here to shed light on a real and prevalent illness for their selfish desire to get ratings and viewers from the more dramatic and interesting spin that just one aspect of the story elicited. Oh well. At least it got people talking about PPMDs.”
NOTE: This post represents my views only, not those of the board of Postpartum Support International.
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18 Comments to
“ABC Should Be Ashamed of “Private Practice” Postpartum Psychosis Episode”
Two words - TELEVISION SHOW! This show does an amazing job every week presenting the facts about REAL medical conditions. It juggles the medical conditions and the personal drama. Lets take a step back and reevaluate the fact that this is a work of fiction. If you want an accurate presentation of postpartum psychosis get a copy of the DSM Casebook, not a TELEVISION SHOW. Let’s remember suspension of disbelief, it is what makes FICTION FICTION.
Anthony,
Perhaps you can explain that to the women who’ve emailed me, horrified.
I also find your comment somewhat contradictory. You reinforce that the show is fiction and shouldn’t be taken seriously, yet you also appreciate how well they present medical facts, which leads me to believe you think that is important regardless of the fact that the show is fiction.
In this case, they presented the facts wrong.
I don’t know why I thought to google last nights episode, but I felt like someone else must have found it irresponsible. I am glad to see I am not alone.
I have suffered with postpartum ocd/anxiety for almost two years, I love my son and have been tortured by intrusive thoughts and I am very sensitive to the media. When I see things like this episode it really affects me.
I had trouble sleeping when my son was born for fear of SIDS.. I drank coffee to stay awake and was to over caffinated to sleep when he napped.. I talked alot when I was around other adults because that is what you do when you are home alone all day.
This is how it is for alot of mothers with postpartum anxiety…..and even those who don’t have postpartum.
To show this as a sign of psychosis along with hearing your baby cry… when they are actually crying.. leaves alot of women dealing with fears and anxiety scared.
These can be symptoms of psychosis, and mania is definatly something to be taken seriously… but for those of us who have to deal with the horrible fear of intrusive thoughts, this just leads to an uninformed self diagnosis and more fear and worry and the cycle continues.
If ABC can get the medical jargon down and the set design down, then they can certainly afford to get it right on this… a very serious matter amoung women. And lets not forget what the target audience is on Private Practice? Yup, the same women they showed in a horribly ignorant light
Nicole,
I’m very sorry for your experience but at the same time so happy you’ve shared it here. (I personally know how terrifying it is to have intrusive thoughts.) Your poignant comment is the perfect example of how shows like the one last night can affect new mothers. It doesn’t matter whether it’s fiction. It just doesn’t. Women are so confused and vulnerable when suffering perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that we can be deeply affected by lots of things while we argue with ourselves internally about what’s wrong with us and what we should do about it.
When I had my two daughters each time I had bad bouts of post-partum depression. I felt exhausted, afraid, weepy and very overwhelmed. I also had not help and had not been around babies before. It was a hell for one. When I spoke about how I felt, no one listened, so that added guilt to the misery.
This was in the 1980’s before as much was known about these conditions. I was angry with myself too. It was just awful. Women deserve support while recovering from the hardest “labor” they may ever do and starting the hardest job they will ever “LOVE”. Please, be kind folks.
I did not see the episode; however, what prompted me to read the article was seeing the subject matter. I am in “Private Practice” as a psychotherapist. Due to the nature of how postpartum depression and the “baby blues” can be so common, I am absolutely upset at the misrepresentation of the episode.
Women, men…well, come on, society need to be educated of the differences which will create awareness but also validation. Support, support support - not ratings, folks.
While I understand the “it’s just TV” argument, it does not work. First of all, what they do affects how people think about things (right or wrong). They have now hurt a lot of people by their portrayal of postpartum and made it a lot harder for women to seek treatment or admit that they have it. My wife went through some bad postpartum and it was tough enough to get through without TV programs trying to get ratings by sensationalizing it. As has been said before, these are good Mums who are just having a very tough time. With proper treatment and support, they can do great and become great mothers. If you turn them into the Boogy Woman and make it harder for them to get support, then I hold you responsible for the consequences. This show has undone some of the great work done to bring postpartum into the light.
Before you just discount the power and responsibility of programs like this, consider this. What would you do if the next episode said that “Your Name” at “Your Real Address” is a serial killer and pedophile? After all, it is just TV. Of course, the some of death threats would be real and lives could be ruined or ended… Television affects how society sees things and as been said before “with great power comes great responsibility”.
Unfortunately, this show will have a long term negative impact on many families.
Private Practice has always been, and will always be a second rate excuse for a tv show. Greys Anatomy is almost as bad.
I figure anyone watching and believing anything they see in Private Practice is likely to believe stupid things anyways. I doubt the show spread stupidity to anyone who wasn’t infected already.
I found the episode to be an inaccurate representation of PPP, but I thought it was an excellent episode. I think it was VERY important to have the conversation that Violet, Pete and Cooper had. A lot of viewers probably were thinking that woman shouldn’t have her baby back, but they showed why she SHOULD have her baby back.
I suffered serious PPD when I had my son and I’m currently awaiting the arrival of my new child. My husband and I both watched the television show and even with my history of PPD, he doesn’t think I’m unfit to care to be a mother and he’s not worried that I’m going to hurt our children.
Also too, this woman came to get help, thus showing that HELP is offered to those new mothers suffering from PPD and PPP. Its a “medical drama” meaning they are going to take cases at the most extreme because its a drama.
And final point, are people really going to get their medical advice and medical education from a television show. I don’t think so.
As a psychiatrist, although I did not see this show, I have seen how TV and movies portray mental health issues, and the consensus is the majority overtypifies symptoms and issues, as mainstream illness is not “exciting” enough to warrant a show to titilate/wow audiences.
My advice, although wary to give it, is ask NAMI to get involved if they see it as a viable issue. They have the manpower to mobilize people.
And, in addressing some of the comments above, believe me when I say this as patients always say something in my office when there has been something presented in the visual media, TV/movies/internet: if it was presented, then people believe it until you can repeatedly refute it with responsible facts and direction to reliable sources.
After all, we live in a culture that lives by the adage, “if it was shown, or in print, then it must be true”.
Ugh!
Therapfirst,
Thanks for your comment. I know that logically it seems like people should know this is just a TV show and they shouldn’t take it seriously. But the women who go through this are vulnerable and questioning themselves and this kind of discourse — even if it’s fiction — can make them even more afraid and confused.
Personally, I get my ridiculous unrealistic medical info from Scrubs.
The habit of picking out weird unpronounceable highly-unlikely medical disorders as the subject of a medical drama is so widespread and has gone on for so many decades that it’s a cultural joke. I kind of liked the worms-in-the-brain “crossover” episode. I must know a half dozen people suffering from that.
While I did not see the episode, after reading this article and the posts by other individuals, I believe that ABC acted irresponsibily, not necessarily by airing the episode, but by not providing the additional information to viewers on the facts of postpartum depression and psychosis. I was appalled to read how ABC handled the situation and am disgusted with the way the media chooses to sensationalize a rare effect of a common mental illness.
I suffered from postpartum depression over 5 years ago. Never once did I consider harming my daughter; I turned my pain inward, with cutting and suicide attempts. As indicated by the statistics, most women who suffer from postpartum continue to care for their children and would never consider hurting their children.
Ever since the case of the Texas woman who drowned her children, the media has jumped on the “postpartum” bandwagon and, as is usually the case, has misrepresented the illness and has only made the stigma worse. This episode will do more damage than good because, like it or not, the average viewer does believe what they see on television and they are quick to judge, especially in the absence of credible and reliable information. I am disheartened by ABC’s irresponsibility and will happily boycott anything and anyone that chooses to misrepresent and misinform on this subject.
ABC’ “Private Practice” is not the only television show to depict postpartum psychiatric issues in a very negative light. FOX’s show “House” also had an episode about a woman suffering from postpartum psychosis attempting infanticide. In the show she tried to suffocate her baby and was deemed not to be fit to see her child. It disgusts me what shows will do to get viewers. “House” is a medical drama known for being pretty scientifically accurate when it comes to the medical diagnoses and it saddens me to think that they would depict this idea of postpartum psychosis as fact just as “Private Practice” did.
I don’t really watch “Private Practice.” I watched a few minutes of the series premiere, and I’ve been watching it’s crossover episodes with “Grey’s Anatomy” but no, I’m not a fan. I do, however, enjoy “Grey’s Anatomy” and I will continue to faithfully watch it. Why? Because I like the characters. I also happen to like Tom Cruise’s acting (Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut, Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, etc. are some of my favorite films), which is why I have no intention of boycotting his films either.
come on, it’s just a TV show
people should know that isn’t real
that can’t believe everything they see
sorry my bad english.
As someone whose mother had PPP on and off for 20 years after my birth, till her death. It is nice to see the mother’s natural love myth being chipped away at.
You do not have to drown your child to kill it. You can drive them to it.
I was lucky she died first.
Also I never developed a “maternal” bond with her where her abuse reflected on me. I knew she was a horrible person, and it was not my fault.
Mothers are not holy things, they are human, and as likely if not more than a father, to abuse children.
Luckily my father was very nurturing. And apologetic about marrying a psychotic b$tch. It caused him a great deal of guilt, as he found after she died, how she was when he was not around.
We are so blinded by cultural perceptions that mothers are saints, and fathers not as naturally gifted with children, that many men doubt what they see in the mothers of their children.
How do you admit to yourself that you married a monster and gave her victims to torture?
Private practice was one of my favorite shows until last night. You have no right to imprint on my mind such violence. I don’t watch shows that are violent. It’s my choice and you took that away. The image still haunts me. Shame on you!
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 14 Feb 2009
