During or after your PP episode, have... - Action on Postpar...
During or after your PP episode, have you experienced any stigma or discrimination? Please tell us more in the comments. (Tick as many as re
In my last contract of employment there was the following section that I felt was discriminatory & wanted it changed or removed before I signed it. It was really hard to ask for this in a new job, but after initial reluctance they removed it completely without me having to disclose why - I did get a few strange looks from my new bosses though!
"Dismissal without notice: Your employment may be terminated forthwith by the company without prior notice if you at any time: - become of unsound mind or become a patient within the meaning of Section 94(2) & 145(1) of the Mental Health Act 1983."
I also find excluding people from jury service because they've had a mental illness is unfair & discriminatory. It implies that because I've had PP (& fully recovered years ago!), that I'm now not a valid or worthwhile member of society. I hope they change this one soon!
I agree! This one on jury service really bugs me. It's a really old fashioned and discriminatory view. A law that was written at a time that recovery from mental illness wasn't considered possible? Now that we know 1 in 4 of us are affected by mental illness ( a huge proportion of the population) you'd have thought the law on jurors would catch up!
(sorry, another comment from me!) I was reminded of stigma & discrimination that I experienced from the NHS itself! I was due to talk about my PP experience at a midwives training session at my local hospital. It was for 15 midwives as part of their perinatal mental health training (only a 15 minute slot!). A few weeks before the session I was informed that I wasn't allowed to attend & be in the building where they were holding the session due to "Health & Safety issues of me being a service user"!
I am not a 'service user' now. I WAS a service user well over 3 years ago, but not any more! I consider myself an 'ex-service user'. I felt this implied that I hadn't recovered at all, I was damaged in some way & I was a danger to society! Grrr!
I will Grrr with you on this one. It's insulting to say the least and again an old-fashioned view.
I ticked "yes, other" because I experienced the FEAR of stigma. I found that when I went back to work I could not even tell my boss that I'd been ill with PP, or even give the wrong label of the widely known and accepted postnatal depression. I was afraid of the stigma I felt would be attached to me if my colleagues knew. I myself could barely understand the illness or articulate the depression I was in (I went back to part-time work when my son was 9 months old. Before the birth I had decided I would not return as I couldn't imagine leaving my baby to go back to a job I barely liked - returning to work was another sign of how the illness had changed everything.) How could I explain to my boss what PP was and how it was affecting me? In hindsight, of-course I should have declared I had been severely ill after childbirth and that I was still ill. I would have been granted sick-leave and then a phased return to work. Hindsight is a wonderful thing .... stigma is just awful, even the assumption of stigma.
Ironically, when my son was 6 months old and I was still on maternity leave, I became critically ill with a physical illness. I spent a week in ITU and 3 further weeks in a London hospital. Somehow my work colleagues were informed (maybe my family told them) and I was sent cards and best wishes. After the birth of my son I was severely ill with a mental illness and spent 3 weeks in hospital - work were not informed in detail, no cards or best wishes were sent. Again, fear of stigma.
I am glad to be working with APP and my local mental health teams to normalise PP, raise awareness and eliminate stigma. I want to be living in a world where it doesn't matter what type of hospital you are a patient in because either way you will get visitors, cards and flowers.
Hi HopeafterPP, you're so right about how debilitating the FEAR of stigma is, that's a really good point! I experienced that with not feeling able to share a link to my husband's fundraising page around my colleagues in a new job encase they realised why I was supporting a PP charity. They were strangers & I felt I couldn't share my past so soon in a working environment - it's wrong I felt that way!
The lack of cards, flowers & get well wishes after giving birth & becoming ill also rang true with me - I'd not thought of that before but it was the same with me & pretty poignant really as it's just not the norm. It's a difficult time for everyone & I guess people just don't know the right thing to do. I did get a lovely orchid from my sister though which I treasured at the time - still got it now! 
x
I came across prejudice in the workplace due to having been ill with PP, I came across emails from one of the senior management referring to me as the nutter and saying that I was mentally unstable. I would like to add by the time I returned to work I was perfectly well again. I had a very good case for discrimination but did not feel strong enough to fight it so voted with my feet and left and it was the best thing I have ever done.
That's outrageous! I can't imagine how awful you felt having senior management think of you that way (& whichever colleagues they chose to tell!). That's reminded me of in the midst of it, I was suspended for a week from work (I worked in an all male environment) as they said I was sleeping at my desk - I wasn't at all but the medication & staring at a screen all day made my eyes sting so I'd close them for a few seconds, nothing more! It's awful that we feel we have to vote with our feet, but often that's the only choice we have. After a while I did the same as you & moved on & it felt great too!
Andrea, I remember reading the email and feeling physically sick
I had never been liked by this manager and previous to me going on maternity leave, he actually kicked me over a disagreement and I raised a grievance. I was very honest with my new company and told them in my second interview about being ill and they have been very supportive and would never treat me in that way. There are so many small minded people out there, but I am glad that I rose above it and as a firm believer in karma the company has now gone into receivership
Crikey, it sounds like he'd be an awful manager whether you were ill or not! Well done for being open with your new company, that's not easy! Karma's a great thing
I read your comments with great interest and have experienced unreasonable behaviour (emotional and physical) within the hospital environment, with agencies and "governmental establishments/departments", but also professionals and friends (discrimination, stigma, phobia etc.) In addition close family members have an understanding and acceptance of physical disability, but no tolerance level for individuals with mental health illness/conditions...and I will not put it onto my forehead 
Why are the messages so old and no updates on equality and discriminatory issues ??? I feel that this is an ongoing topic. I have experienced a lot of fear amongst "users" with regards to authorities and "authoritative figures", psychiatric hospitals etc...As user and volunteer I always tried to encourage people with mental health conditions and reassured individuals that we all have a voice and should be listened to. I feel very passionate about it!!!
Sabine
