I just wanted to run something by u all as I’ve been left feeling a bit confused.
I recently bumped into an old friend last week and we were laughing about pregnancy hormones and hair re growth and then she went onto say she knew someone who very sadly has suffered with postnatal psychosis. I don’t know her well enough to explain I have suffered with this also so I just expressed my sympathies. However she then said that her friend had been told that once u have experienced psychosis, it changes the workings of ur brain and u then always have psychosis. I don’t know if she meant that if she was to have another then u r likely to have psychosis again or if she meant ur brain is permanently changed.
i have been holding onto hope that I will get back to feeling like myself and now that I have heard this, it feels like it’s confirming all my worst case scenarios- that I won’t get better and my brain is in fact changed by this experience. I won’t ever get “me” back and me and my partner, me and my family and me and my friends will keep drifting apart.
I was under the impression this girl had been told it by a medical professional- that ur brain is forever changed and u will always have psychosis.
Sorry I know I’m rambling x
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Loopy86
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Not silly at all and not rambling. The great thing about this forum is that you have freedom to express how you are feeling and we have all been in the same boat so to speak!
I am not a medical professional but just wanted to say that I have never heard what you were told by your friend. My episode was 35 years ago and I had two more children and no PP. I went back to work s couple of years after PP and was back to my own self. It took a year after PP to feel my confidence coming back, and certainly I felt a little fragile after the event.
If my life gets overwhelming, which it does from time to time, I am very conscious of making sure I sleep well and rest when I can and I have taken a long time to understand that sometimes I have to say no to things. Taken me years to learn the benefits of sleeping, eating and exercising well!
I was told I might struggle a little during menopause but I am through that too now and did not experience psychosis.
I am sure there will be other responses to encourage you and help you to feel confident that you will be back to your old self.
Having relapsed twice I can say that you do get back to normality, it just takes time. The thing which got me feeling more normal was focusing on my self-care and rest/sleep.
Please don’t let what others say scare you. It’s good to check these things if they do worry you and I’m glad that you reached out on here too, I’m sure you will get some encouraging and warm responses.
Hang in there you will get there.
We offer peer support for anyone who has experienced PP, if you are interested please do drop me/us a message.
Thanks for sharing your question, that's exactly the sort of thing we're here for. If you're wondering it, you can be sure someone else is wondering it too
It's a good question, but I've not heard of what your friend said, but I'm no expert. Maybe someone from APP HQ will know what the latest research is on that, if there is any?
Myself, I had a psychosis episode after my first child, but was fine after my second. I do still have depression and anxiety, but I had that anyway before having children and it's well controlled with medication and looking after myself. I have found that when I've tried to come off meds (under medical supervision) I've started up with psychosis symptoms again, so me and my GP think best stay on the meds. I know some folk go on to be later diagnosed with bipolar after a PP episode, and that's something my GP mentioned but we've never looked further into it as I'm fine on the meds I have.
So I think what I'm trying to say (!) is that while some folk might have further psychosis episodes after a first one, it 's by all means not everyone and it might not even be related to the PP.
I know what you mean about worrying you'll never be the old you. But I'm 15yrs on from my experience and while in a way I think any big life experience like that changes you in some way, I think for me, long term, I've changed for the better. Having got through it I feel stronger, a survivor and a bit more awesome than before I think you will too in time.
Hi loopy86, I've had 2 psychotic episodes in the last 7 years and recently diagnosed with bi polar. I don't honestly know if we're more prone to psychosis. There's higher risk with another pregnancy in having it again.So here's my experience. My second episode was briefer than the first and luckily I didn't have to go into hospital. Knowing my triggers such as sleep deprivation and extreme stress has helped. Though you can't always stop stressful events happening.
And trust your instincts. If you ever feel your not right, get help early. And it might never happen, but it does your hopefully more prepared.
It does change you. I was terrified of becoming unwell again for a while too. But you are so strong for having survived this stinking illness, we all are! So give yourself credit for that too. Take good care of yourself x
Hello, I appreciate the realisation of "it does change you". It is important that people wake up to continuous neurological changes and that we gain knowledge, because of our lived experiences. Looking forward to our BP meeting this week. Hope to see you there xxx
Hi Loopy86, please there is no need to apologise, we so appreciate that you come to the forum to ask a very valid question. As other have said above there are increased risks of having psychosis again after subsequent pregnancies and also around the menopause. I went on to have a second baby after having pp and same as SammySeal pp did not repeat for me, thanks to the preventative plans put in place. I have always heard the good recovery rate after postpartum psychosis, which is not the same as for other severe mental illnesses. But at the same time it is a huge trauma and as such recovery from it takes quite some time and it does leave a mark in our lives. Perhaps this is what was mentioned to the friend of your friend and it was interpreted in the words your friend said back to you?
Our brains are always changing, that's for sure the case, our experiences changes us to a greater or lesser degree and we are not exactly the same person from one day to the next. But besides that, there is a core you that is still there after pp, it takes time to acquaint ourselves with that person again, but you will get there as the brave mums on this forum are a testimony of. You may also find you have gained things after pp, increased self-awareness, empathy, courage.
I wonder if you have thought about talking therapy and if that is offered by the team looking after you at the moment? When I accessed it while recovering from pp I found it very helpful to work on my sense of identity which was so bruised after pp.
You are one brave mum, do not forget that, we are here for anything you may need, please do not hesitate on popping a question or a comment
It’s never silly to ask questions, thank you for posting.
I don’t think that once you’ve had a psychotic episode, you always have psychosis but as others have said, life after PP can look different for different people.
There is an FAQs page on the APP website that may be helpful, it includes some information about the likelihood of future episodes as well as links to various studies.
The FAQs page can be found here - app-network.org/what-is-pp/... (see ‘Am I likely to have an episode of psychiatric illness at other times?’) - the information includes the following:
Just over half of women with postpartum psychosis will experience an episode of depression, bipolar disorder or related illness at some point in their lifetime. (This estimate includes women with and without experience of mental illness before their PP episode, and so the risk may be lower for women whose PP episode was ‘out of the blue’.) For more information see our research on recurrence rates or view to our survey of recovery in APP members.
It has been suggested that some women who experience PP may be vulnerable to relapse at times of major hormonal fluctuation, such as during the perimenopause (the time from the onset of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and irregular periods, until the menopause itself).
Like Maria and SammySeal, I had a second child after experiencing PP with my first and stayed well. I'm conscious that the perimenopause could be a risky time but forewarned is forearmed and as others have said, it's really important to look after ourselves. I agree that we're always changing and our experiences shape us as we grow and evolve, but the fundamental, core 'you' is still in there and I'm sure you'll re-connect with her in time, and add on a bit of extra awesome to boot like Sammy!
I believe it will be interesting to discuss peri and menopausal experiences combined with BP at our meeting or at least use it as one of our discussion points! Happy day x
Hi Loopy86, not my experience at all. I was hospitalised for 3 months each time with psychosis at age 20 and 37 but I have been lucky enough to always make a full recovery and people do not know unless I tell them. I achieved a professional level 6 qualification after psychosis so definitely no change to my brain in that respect.I do not make an immediate recovery, it took a good while for me to get my full confidence back to feel myself, but always got to 100% again.
I did get a bipolar diagnosis. Many people continue to take medication for their bipolar.
Hello, hope to meet you at our BP session on Wednesday evening! No doubt, it does not affect our cognition and multiple intelligences. In fact, we are destined to access different learning patterns, because of our BP mind after PPP. I certainly have become a different learner during my recovery. My brain is still on over drive when data collecting and on hyper mode. I love the topic of neurology...in my case I have to many cars and not enough parking slots, if too many parking slots your spectrum is further down the "low scale". Regulation of meds plays a huge part in this in my opinion. Being drowsy is easier for loved once to cope with, - my partner can not keep up with my pace and I believe it is around 75% of "full on action"
I always research, if somebody makes a statement I am not in tune with or when a comment affects my mental health and triggers my emotions. I can be rather pragmatic and use various data resources in order to make sure facts are put to the forefront. Yes, of course I am learning from other people, too yet I am rather cautious, especially when individuals are not experts in the subject matter.
You know Loopy, I am aging, I am experiencing life and I am not looking through pink goggles anymore as I have gained wisdom. Always access different sources, gain 2nd opinions...
Take good care, your lived experience will give you inner strengths and growths and it will lead to new opportunities. x
I just wanted to say thank u so much for everyone’s response. I’m so grateful to u all and u won’t know how much of a comfort they all are at the time. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reply. Sometimes even replying can feel so overwhelming when feeling so low but I am just so grateful, thank u.
Never worry about replying as you must be so busy at work and home ....it’s only if and when you feel like it. I’m sorry sometimes things can be overwhelming when you feel so low. Recovery from such a traumatic illness isn’t easy so please give yourself time and space to heal, although easier said than done when your days are busy. Perhaps you could ask for a review with your GP if that might help?
Be kind to yourself and take care. We are all here for you 🌻
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Advice needed please 2nd pregnancy
Getting my head round this.
Looking for Jenny
Hi
Help, I can't go on like this!
