Ok, ladies. This is a strange question, I know. I hope it doesn’t seem too weird. Anyway, for a couple of years now people have been after me to write a book — friends, family, etc. I have completely resisted it because there are so many good books out there already (which I promote on this site!) and because I have no interest whatsoever in re-inventing the wheel. But yet I keep hearing about it. I’m wondering if God is trying to get my attention! So I’d like to get your thoughts on the subject. Do you think I should write a book about postpartum mood disorders? Do we need another one? If so, what do you think is missing from the books that are already available? If I wrote one, I would want only to complement the great work that has already been done by Shoshanna Bennett and Pec Indman and Sandy Poulin and Ruta Nonacs and Karen Kleiman and Sylvia Lasalandra and Diana Lynn Barnes. It would have to be different. I have a few ideas on that, but I’d really like to hear from you. (A couple of hints: It wouldn’t be a memoir because Brooke Shields and Sylvia and others have already done that very well. And it wouldn’t be clinical because the fabulous doctors and therapists have already covered that off.)
YOU are the people that MATTER. I only write this blog for YOU. So I want your opinion about what you feel is needed, and what the women who may experience postpartum mood disorders in the future could use, if anything. Email me your thoughts at stonecallis@msn.com. Thanks ladies.
I think it would be nice to see something that included more information for people already suffering mood disorders and what they can expect to deal with during pregnancy and after.
I think it would also be nice to hear from people who suffered at from psychosis or close to it. I have trouble finding experiences I can relate to since my particular brand of crazy was so bad.
But do it.
I love the idea!!! You have my support & encouragement. And, you would of course be required to plan a book signing stop here in Houston!
We can never have enough voices at the table! One perspective that I think has not been advanced fully enough is that of the father/partner. Brooke Shields gives a glimmer of how it affected her husband, and Pec Indman and Shoshana Bennett, and Karen Kleiman discuss partners in their books from the clinical side, but overall, I think the effects of PPMDs on partners often goes overlooked.
BTW, I did blog about the MOTHERS Act–I just got in a little late in the game, but if you're still keeping track, add me to your list: http://www.lifetransitions.blogspot.com!
essays by us of course! you brought us here and give us information, support and hope so it only makes sense that you would weave our stories together and bind them in your book!
whatever you decide, I'm buying it!
I'll buy it (but you have to sign my copy!)
This is the bottom line. There is nothing that carries the message more effectively than the words of the women who have suffered from these disorders. I love the idea of using the experiences of all the women you have connected with over the years.
As a psychiatrist who treats women suffering from depression during and after pregnancy, I find that so many of the women I treat are hungry to talk to other women who have been in their shoes. Good clinical information is essential, but women want to know what other mothers have experienced and they need to know that they can overcome the illness and become loving and caring mothers.
One of the areas that has not been covered well is the experience of women who suffer from symptoms during pregnancy. Lauren Slater wrote about it in her book Love Works Like This, but I don't think there is much else out there.
Best of luck.
Yes. Plain and simple. Your voice is a strong one with a story to tell. Use it.
I love the idea too, Katherine. Another area that needs your voice is that of the medical community and its response to women with PPD symptoms. So many times, the women I treat tell me that when they feel better, they intend to go back to their treating physicians or healthcare providers and let them know what they missed. As you know, women feel betrayed or let down by the providers who are dismissing them. There is no one in a better position to guide the medical community than you and the women you touch.
I think you should write a book. You wouldn't be reinventing the wheel. You have a unique perspective based on the community of support you've created here.
You also have a very clear "voice" and have had a lot of practice building relationships with readers.
(I'm a former editor, book marketer and book doctor, and believe that crucial elements in a book's success are the writer's voice and her connection with readers.)