Today’s interview is with Tracy Thompson, the author of “The Beast: A Journey Through Depression” and “The Ghost in the House: Motherhood, Raising Children, and Struggling with Depression.” She has won numerous mental health awards, including one from NAMI for her “lasting contributions to mental health issues.”
Question: The first two sentences of your book are brilliant: “Motherhood and depression are two countries with a long common border. The terrain is chilly and inhospitable, and when mothers speak of it at all, it is usually in guarded terms, or in euphemisms.”
You’re obviously on my team of those moms fighting against the stigma of mental illness. But even I shy away at times — like when someone will joke about another mom being “so schizophrenic” — of telling people how strongly I feel against discrimination. If I’m in a good and confident place, I’ll blab about my psychiatric history. And then I retreat, thinking “oh no, now David won’t have anyone to play with,” and then I blab again, and so it goes. What about you? Do you openly talk about your depression to the moms you interact with on a daily basis?
Tracy Thompson: Do I blab about my psychiatric history? No. Do I talk freely? Yes. By which I mean that when the context is appropriate, I’ll speak up. Recently a friend told me she hadn’t heard from her brother in months. She assumed he was sulking about something. I said, “Make sure he’s not depressed.”
Or there will be a story in the news about some psychiatric patient that people will be talking about, and I’ll have a chance to say, “No, psychotropic drugs like that are not addictive.” And then people will say, “What makes you an expert?” and I’ll say, “I’m not an expert on everything but I do know about this from experience.” This is especially true when the subject is PPD, because new moms (especially first-time mothers) can be made to feel so incredibly guilty about having it, and an amazing number of medical personnel are still ignorant about it.
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This woman should have been “proactive” by not having kids at all. Does she think she’s done the world a favor by reproducing? The sad thing is her kids have a good chance of becomming just like her, since parents teach by example. Her negative attitude is the cause of her depression, not motherhood. I understand that many people have trouble coping with life, but to label it “PPD” is silly. People get “depression” in a variety of ages and life circumstances. And drugs are never the answer to anything.
WOW!!! Um…who are you????
While reading the blog post I couldn’t help but think about my own children. As a father of four , I worry about how my uncontrolled bipolar depression may have affected them in their critical years of development. even now I can see traits that resemble my own during my youth in two of the children. This is not a situation where they have learned from me, rather hints of a mood disorder. I refuse to get them labeled at such a young age, but my wife and I are taking proactive approach to dealing with them.
When you said “Looking back, I put three people (me, my daughter and my husband) through a year of hell for no good reason”. I had to agree! . We have a responsibility to our children to be there for them, even when we can’t be there for ourselves. I am making every effort possible to be there for my children, my only fear is that it’s not enough.
Hi,
Would the panel comment on the following article?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8279576/British-woman-cured-of-deep-depression-by-pioneering-surgery.html
This comment is for “owmeyegawd”:
First of all, PPD is a diagnosed disorder in the DSM-4 and it really does exist. Second, anyone has the god-given right to have children. Just because someone suffers from mental health, doesn’t mean they should not be a mother. She obviously got the help she needed by the time she had her 2nd child and is now striving with that help. Your comment is just plain ignorant! It’s because of people like you that stigma about mental health still exists! I suffer from major depression and I have a 14 year old daughter. There are lots of times when I feel like I hate being a mom because of all my daughter’s issues and then I have to deal with my issues on top of that. Every day is a struggle but I wouldn’t trade being a mom for anything. I love my daughter, no matter how bad things get. So get off your high horse and learn a little more about mental illness!
As a psychologist, I applaud Tracy Thompson for her honesty and candor. Depression is very insidious and creeps up on you without a full awareness until you must get some help. The comments of owmeyegawd are unwarranted and reflect the discrimination and stigma Tracy discusses in the interview. The last thing a depressed mother needs is a holier-than-thou attitude by someone who aspires to be the perfect mom but who is probably far from it. You just don’t get it until you walk in someone else’s shoes. Just try to run your household with diminishing physical and emotional resources of now fault of your own, and see how easy it is.
I feel strongly compelled to respond to “owmeyegawd”. First of all the screenname screams I love to judge people all day. Curious to know why you are even on a psychiatric blog site when their is clearly no understanding of mental health and illness. Postpartum depression is a real disease. It is treatable but real. Do you really think the author knew she was going to get severe PPD after giving birth? I know I sure didnt.
owmeyegawd – your comments ignorant and invalidating.
Mostly ignorant.
“owmeyeregawd” must be related to my ex who my thought my behaviour was because I didn’t want kids. Even when the mental illness professionals diagnosed me with PND/PPD 9 months after my 2nd daughter was born (which was later changed to severe depression), he was saying snap out of it (one reason why he is an ex!)
I relate mental illness to a back injury, if you have never suffered from it, you don’t understand (and that includes he medical profession).
Steph
Queensland, Australia
It’s so important that moms are allowed to talk about their own struggles, that they don’t have to neglect themselves or deny their own reality in the name of motherhood. I’m glad to know of Tracey Thompson and her brave work.
Re owmyegod( just the name makes you cringe!)
I wonder if this comment is meant as a joke?Got to have a bit of compassion for someone like this !
“Her kids have a good chance of becomming(spelling needs attention,too)
like her since parents teach by example “.Yup : there’ll be some nasty,bullying,intolerant youngsters in school if this ignorant judgemental person has reproduced.
“Drugs are never the answer to anything”. What kind of ridiculous,unfounded generalization is that? Totally lacking in reflection.
Would she/he undergo dental work or surgery without drugs?
Very, very disturbing comments to read.Perhaps Psych Central is just the site for this person to get some help & insight?
I want to thank Tracy Thompson for her book “The ghost in the house”. If it wasn’t for her i think i would still be in denial about my depression. i want to thank her personally for help me realize what was going on and helping figure out how to deal and coop with my depression.i know realize that im hurting my self and the ones around me. I need to get help for this depression for me and my daughter. I dont want my daughter to go down that line to. Thanks again for all the advice and knowing im not alone in this world.