Is a PPP blog a bad idea?

[ontheup]

I've been asked if I'd consider writing a blog about my experience with PPP. I'm finally at the stage where I have more good days than bad but is it a bad idea to write a blog just 2 years after the start of PPP? If you were to write one, what would you include or definitely not include? I'm scared I'll bring too much up too soon.

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello ontheup

Really good to hear from you and so pleased you are finally having more good days than bad.

I wondered who had asked you to consider writing a blog? I don't think I could have written about my PP two years on as I was only just finding my feet. With hindsight I would leave out how I came to be sectioned in '75 as it was very traumatic, a cry for help. Even now, years later, I think I would struggle to write a blog about my two episodes.

If you're scared that it might be too much too soon, I would leave it on your 'might do' list for another day. There are a few mums here who have written blogs and will be able to give you good advice.

Keep being positive ....... you have come so far. If you do write a blog make sure you include how much courage and determination you had to have come through so much ......

As always, take good care of yourself.

[Hidden]

Hello Ontheup,

it is a big decision. I was in touch with somebody very influential on raising awareness of PP (Elaine Hanzak) around that time and wanted to write creatively and may come out. She was of great help and at the end I decided to leave it "for the moment".

The moment has passed by. In fact it has been over 5 years since I was diagnosed with PP. I like Lilybeth's comment and just listen to your intuition, If you still have mixed feelings, put it on the shelf for a while.

I am just coming out now and feel that I want to share my recovery through my paintings.

Good luck!

Sabine

[Hannah_at_APP Administrator]

Hello ontheup,

It's good to hear that you are doing well and considering a blog. I personally have not written a blog, partly because I am a little technologically challenged! It's a very personal decision and there are some great blogs out there - like Lilybeth, I was wondering who had asked you too? It's a nice thing to be asked to do things like that, I hope it's helped you too, it would certainly be a confidence boost if I'd been asked.

I think you have to be absolutely certain about what you put "out there" as it's quite a permanent thing. If I were to write a blog (and the same applies for posts on here and other ways I tell my story), I would, and have been, conscious of the privacy of others - my husband and child mostly. And anything negative, I try to think whether I would want those closest to me, or those who don't know me at all, to know it about me. Just a sort of privacy check. Perhaps something to talk about with those close to you as well, as it may be something they would have a view on - although I suppose ultimately it is your decision, I think I would want to talk to my husband and perhaps others, as it would feel right to ask their permission somehow too.

What I have done, and it was a little while ago now, was "mind dump" my PP experience and recovery onto a Word document. It was before I had my 2nd child, so I suppose would need updating now. It helped me to feel that I had written it down, in my own words, and I suppose is a sort of private blog for myself. It felt good to write it all down - perhaps a starting point for you to, and a way of gauging how you might feel about doing a blog?

Hope this is helpful to you, I hope those good days continue and you are enjoying the new year- all the best to you, xx

[RecoveryMummy]

I have, it did make me very nervous and I had trouble sleeping the night I wrote it but the response has been great. Go for it! mine can be found here -

recoverymummycardiff.wordpr...

Please Share it x

[TraceyR72 Volunteer]

Hi ontheup, this is a great question to ask as writing a blog needs careful consideration. I started one just over a year ago now, but my PP was 11 years ago and I don't think I'd have been ready at a much earlier stage. Having said that I know a few mums with quite prominent PP blogs who seem to have started them within the first 3-4 year after their episodes. Like Sabine in the post above, I chatted to Elaine Hanzak before starting mine - she wrote a whole book on her experience, before blogs were an option. I was inspired by her to tell my story and the blog seemed a good starting point. I have to say though, I think technically a blog might be supposed to be a regular thing but I've written the story across a couple of posts and not written again for a long time, so I may not be a good example!

It took me a good few hours to write those posts and I felt extremely emotional as I did so - there were tears and I felt exhausted afterwards. But it was also cathartic and healing. I've heard a lot of people say it's helpful to write your story down, as Spannerb has said, so that may be a good idea for you, rather than initially sharing it in a blog? If you do blog it you need to choose whether to be anonymous or to fully identify yourself on the blog site and via social media. My choice has been a bit of both. I don't have photos or names on the blog site, but I do link it to my twitter account where I can be "discovered" with my real name and photos if anybody cares to look. But I choose to have no photos/names of my husband or children on the blog or twitter. I know a couple of other people who have invented cleverly named personas through which they blog and also run their linked social media accounts. You do need the social media accounts to drive readers to the blog if you want it to be read. I found all that a bit of a complicated technical business at first, but there are lots of useful online guides if you're unfamiliar with it like I was.

I guess if you want to dip your toe in but aren't sure how much to share you could start with some short non-detailed posts and just see it feels and what reaction you get. My confidence to share more personal and painful details has grown over time as the positive reactions to my story helped my recovery, and as I connected with more and more women who have been through similar things. Blogs are such a personal voluntary thing though, that you can start and stop at any time. So if you give it a go and it doesn't make you feel good or you get too busy for it you can just leave it alone at any time, permanently or for a while. My advice would be to put absolutely no pressure on yourself to either start or to continue with a blog - only do it if it feels like it's in some way helpful to your recovery.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Tracey

[andrea_at_app Volunteer in reply to TraceyR72]

What a good question with great replies from everyone with lots to think about before starting one - thanks all. I'm similar to you Tracey, I wrote my story in the early years just for myself which I found really helpful & didn't really do anything with it. It took me 9 yrs before I started my blog, I just didn't feel ready before & felt I didn't understand enough about PP - I found it really therapeutic when I did though, it's a bit like having a diary I guess where you can post/offload your thoughts & ramblings. I also kept my anonymity though (to an extent) as I still value my privacy etc. Here's mine if anyone's interested: ppsoup.com/

[Bramble7]

I suffered PP in 2012, after the birth of my first son, then went on to have another baby in 2014 (luckily, no PP this time)

I have often toyed with the idea myself, but for me, that's enough for now - just to have thought about it.

I have yet to write down my full account of PP but when I do, I think I will post it here on the forum as I feel it's a safe environment, where people will get me, I won't be judged and, despite our experiences all being different, I will find some empathy and get someone else's tuppence worth who has actually been through PP themselves.

I think that's it's important for us to protect ourselves from anything that may make us feel a bit unsteady on our feet.

The language you've used is quite interesting in that you've kind of answered your own question (is it a 'bad' idea, not is it a 'good idea') and you say that you're worried that it will bring up too much too soon - I always go with 'if in doubt, leave it out' with anything I'm unsure of.

You say someone has asked you to write a blog, whereas I am commenting having had the thought myself, maybe have a think about what is motivating them to do this. If it's someone close to you then perhaps they want to know more of your story? Or perhaps this is something they would do 'if it was them'. Either way, and as with anything in life, don't feel the need to justify your decision in anyway and whatever you decide now, as for me, it isn't set in stone, you can always revisit it at a later date but perhaps for now, just be happy to have thought about it, as it's another marker of the progress you've made.

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello ontheup

How have you been since your last post? I hope you continue to have more good days than bad.

As always, take good care of yourself.