One thing that really bothers me is when people use the term "postpartum depression" to refer to the deep disappointment some people experience after a big event is over. As an example, this bit from CNN.com this week:
"After two intense years of campaign ups and downs for both major U.S. political parties, the nation has finally settled on a president. Although initially, Obama’s victory brings celebrations for supporters, experts say the let-down that voters of each side may feel after the campaign is akin to postpartum depression."
My computer tracks down most mentions of postpartum depression on the web for me (thank you Google!) and I can’t tell you how often I see someone write that they’ve got "PPD" after they finish a big project. I know what they’re trying to say, but at the same time it feels to me as if it diminishes the seriousness of what we go through. If they really had PPD, boy-oh-boy would they know it, and they wouldn’t rattle it off so offhandedly as if it were a case of the common cold. Perhaps what they’re suffering is loss. But postpartum depression?
ATTENTION, all media people: Here’s a newsflash. PPD is not simply a feeling of "let-down" or "being "a little off." It’s a very serious and devastating illness. It can negatively impact sleeping and eating. It can cause nonstop crying, sadness, isolation and withdrawal from everything you used to enjoy. Women with PPD have feelings of guilt, shame and hopelessness. They have problems bonding with their babies. They can lose the ability to concentrate or focus. Some consider suicide.
Simply being bummed out or feeling aimless after an election or a school paper or major business project is over is not exactly the same thing as postpartum depression. There are women who don’t seek treatment because they don’t recognize how serious this illness is. Let’s not minimize it even further and normalize it to the point that even more choose to continue to needlessly suffer rather than reach out for help.
Hi Katherine,
I agree, that is absolutely unacceptable. Postpartum Depression is not something that can even be compared to a political campaign. That's why it's called POSTPARTUM Depression and not BIG EVENT LET DOWN Depression. It just goes to show that the media does not take it seriously, and unless you've experienced it yourself, have no idea what it feels like.
Umm, thank you! It drives me nuts to hear cavalier comparisons such as these. The other one that really gets me is when difficult or gruesome or harrowing experiences are compared to childbirth. There's NOTHING like childbirth, and even though I labored and pushed, not even I really know what it's like…
You are so right. In my personal opinion personally for me it was kind os a mourning session after my daughter was born. It is so hard to explain but I really mourned not having her inside me. I was high on my hormones (though not every woman is) but the withdrawl was nothing like withdrawl of political campaign. The high was higher than cheering for blue or red, it was a high of being pregnant after 3 years or trying and growing and feeling kicks, forming life inside me, no political campaign high comes even close to that but the lows were not simply "let down". This human being that I made inside me for 9 months took every ounce of my wish to continue on with her when she came out of me. It was not "let down", it was not simply boredom after the loss of spot light, It was not the "what do i do now" because i had plenty to do, I just didnt want to face another day ever again.
Bringing life in the world and then losing your will to live is nothing like a low after a big event…this comparison is naive at the best but sad at its core because it demonstrates the lack of knowledge and availibilty of system support for such a painful and traumatic experience which is a part of so many mothers lives all over the world.