There are some people who are so vehemently against passage of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act that they have decided to say misleading things about the people who are outspoken in their support of it, including me. I realize those people have created the picture of me in their minds that helps them perpetuate their beliefs, and that it is fruitless to try and affect that image. Thankfully, what they think has little bearing upon my happiness or my work. I do, however, care very much what you think, so I want tocorrect some information regarding the articles being spread around with false or misleading information, in case you've seen them.

I'm not what they have called a "money-making promoter". I don't make money from Postpartum Progress. Period. In fact, instead of having a six-figure job in marketing like I used to, I now have a zero-figure job, or to be more accurate a negative-figure job. It really burns my ass when someone suggests that I exist to profit off of Big Pharma considering my husband and I pay out of our own pockets for all the expenses associated with this work. Money that we don't get back.I won't quit, though,regardless of how much it costs. You're worth it.

I DOhope to make money in the future, hopefully the near future. I believe the work I do has a value and that someday I will be able to make enough of a small living that it will cover the costs of Postpartum Progress and also allow me to do MUCH, much more to support women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. I have dreams of winning the lottery just so that I could create transportation funds for women who can't get to their healthcare providers, pay for childcare, cover healthcare costs for those who have been diagnosed but don't have insurance, fund more research …

As you can see if you look around a little bit, there is currently no advertising on Postpartum Progress. I used to be with the BlogHer advertising network, but I withdrew because most of the ads — Ragu spaghetti sauce, anyone? — just had nothing to do with the topic of postpartum depression. I didn't want to clutter up limited space for no reason. I would, of course, welcome an advertiser or sponsorto help me accomplish all that I'd like to… like say Similac, Graco, Gerber, Baby Bjorn, Huggies, The First Years, Tiny Love … you get the picture. A trusted brand that women use during the perinatal period.

You might ask yourself why Postpartum Progress doesn't have advertising for antidepressants. I happen to have a policy (stated quite clearly in my editorial policy for anyone worth their salt in investigative reporting to find) against any pharmaceutical company advertising, because I wouldn't ever want anyone to question my motives on this blog. Here is the policy, verbatim:

"While Postpartum Progress is open to funding from a variety of sources via online advertising, we do not accept or publish any pharmaceutical company-provided information or editorial direction (with the sole exception of pharmaceutical company press releases which we may use as the basis for a news story). No pharmaceutical company, or any other corporation, has ever affected anything that has appeared in Postpartum Progress. Ever."

These people have also called into question whether I suggest books on this website simply because, unbeknownst to you, I make money from recommending them. I don't.

"We do list books about postpartum depression and related disorders on this site, but we receive no funding or kickbacks or any other consideration for placing the books on our Read Up list other than the occasional free review copy."

I've probably gotten about 10 or so free books that I keep in my personal perinatal mood and anxiety disorder library. If you think that means I'm some kind of sneaky money-making promoter, well, I'm just not sure what else to tell you. I do also provide endorsements for certain books (the kind that appear on the back cover) but only after being asked, reading them entirely, and saying what I truly believe about the book. Usually I won't do an endorsement unless I happen to know the book's author really well and truly believe in what they're doing. Also, I don't make money off of any of the educational conferences and events I tell you about — as a central source of news on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders it is just part of the job to try and let you know everything that is going on.

In the interest of full disclosure, let's talk about what I have gotten paid for, not because it is really anybody's business, but because I'm an open book and I really don't care. I received $2500 last year when I was selected by WebMD as one of its four Health Heroes of the Year. (I guess WebMD must be in onmy conspiracy with the drug companies.) The money went to Postpartum Support International since it could only be given to a non-profit organization. Working with PSI, I plan to use some to improve the functionality of this blog and the rest to do some research. Other than that, the only thing I've made money on is my speaking engagements. In 2008, Mental Health America of Georgia hired me to do a presentation on the spectrum of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders around my state. They paid me about $5k I think, which was funded through a grant made to them by Pfizer. In the presentation I sharedinformation onALL of the treatments available for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and share all of the potential benefits and the negativerisks of each method of treatment.

These people seem to think it obvious that I want all pregnant and postpartum women on the planet to be drugged. Heavily. Perhaps they haven't seen the following kind of commentary on Postpartum Progress:

"If you have a doctor who hands out antidepressants like candy and doesn't talk to you about the risks, get another doctor. If you have a doctor who refuses to allow anyone to take medication during pregnancy and doesn't understand the risks to you and your baby of untreated mental illness during pregnancy, get another doctor. If the healthcare professional you're going to isan extremist on either end, they're not fully informed and that's not fair to you."

Perhaps they haven't seen the various stories I write on treatments that don't involve medication, like this recent one about research into the effectiveness of peer support:

"I think it's just fantastic that a free and non-medical intervention can be of such help."

Or here. Or here. Or here. Or the ones I've written about problems with medication, like here.

Perhaps they also haven’t heard me give my speech where I talk every single time about the fact that there is no 100% safe psychotropic medication for pregnant women to take, that anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about and that informed consent is extremely important. I talk about the fact that even though current research (and I highlight the fact that it’s current and things may change) shows there is little absolute risk in taking antidepressant medication while pregnant, the minimal risk currently known to exist is a very important consideration for every mom. Each woman should be able to make her own decision, free of stigma about her choice.

Ifone looks at any blog out of context, or only searches for that which provesher point, she is likely to get the wrong impression. If you've been followingPostpartumProgresssince 2004, you know thatthis blog has one single purpose: to provide education and supportto thewomen who suffer and the people who care for them. That is why I put very little extraneous information on this site: I rarely discuss my children's latest exploits, or what I ate for dinner or how my vacation went, because it's not really relevant toareaderwho is in the midst of hell.Instead, I write about research, and support groups, and books on the subject, and whatother women are saying about their experiences.

They also insinuate that my background in marketing and public relations was with pharmaceutical companies. If they were truly the investigative reporters they say they are, they would know that while I worked at the PR firm of Cohn & Wolfe I worked on the Bausch & Lomb, AT&T and Coca-Cola accounts for the 1996 Olympic Games. I have NEVER, not even for one minute, one memo or one meeting, worked for a pharmaceutical client or consulted to a pharmaceutical client. Insinuating so to try and make your point is really taking the low road.

There is, however, one thing I wrote that these people brought up where I actually agree with their characterization that it promotes medication, unwittingly I might add. They point out this old piece I wrote:

"On another page titled, "The Art of Psychiatric Medication," Katherine tells women to hang in there if a medication does not work because for her diagnosis of OCD, she states:

I've taken many medications, including Effexor, Celexa, Seroquel, Risperdal, Wellbutrin, Luvox, Cymbalta, etc. Throughout all of them I was on the road to recovery. Some just worked better than others at treating my symptoms."

She ends the commentary by telling women: "You will find the right medication for you, and you will get better."

I wrote that back when I knew a whole lot less about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders than I know now. I also wrote that back when I knew a whole lot less about being an advocate and trying to help others. I had a very myopic view of the world — I only knew how to talk about what happened to me and then I applied that to everyone else, which is of course ridiculous. I figured since I took medication to get better, everyone else did too. I've learned a lot since then.

It is true that psychiatric medications work differently for different people, and that if medication happens to be part of your treatment you need to be prepared that you may have to try more than one.That is an important bit of information to share. What I also should have said,though, is that my first psychiatrist who put me on all those meds was horrible and untrained and a total nightmare. It wasn't until I left him and found someone who had specific experience in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that I got a whole lot better. She and I talked in depth about the variety of treatments available to me, I chose to take medication and attend therapy weekly, and the speed limit on my road to recovery went from 35 to 70 mph. In that post I also should have said that your first therapist may not work for you, or the first naturopathic treatment you choose may not work for you. The point I was trying to make, although not very well, was not to give up on recovery. What matters to me is that you GET BETTER. Don't ever give up on getting better.

I plan to continue to attempt tocreate a better experience for women going through perinatal mood and anxiety disorders than I had. I take Postpartum Progress VERY seriously and will continue to do so. I try only to put information on these pages that has been researched and published by trusted resources. If those resources become untrustworthy, or the information changes,I will try and share that with you as well. I know you know that. But I still had to say it, for the record.