Hi all,
It’s almost a year since I suffered PPP and I’ve found myself thinking a lot about my experience. I was just curious to know how many of you were sectioned? For me, there was definitely an escalation of my symptoms which meant it was the right thing as I was so paranoid and confused. But I do wish that things had been different.
Hi I was sectioned, was definitely the right thing for me. I was very very unwell and was willing to take the help.
hi Kitkat131
I was initially admitted as a voluntary patient but was subsequently sectioned during my admission as considered a danger to myself. While I think it was necessary at the time, it does make me sad to have had the first few months of my son’s life in a hospital and the photos I have of him and me at that time are either in the hospital bedroom or with me looking quite unwell.
Having said that, I have now had so many wonderful years with my son (and subsequently 2 daughters). I almost certainly wouldn’t have had those years if I hadn’t been sectioned for my own safety.
Sending best wishes
Send
Hey I was sectioned from home and taken in an ambulance to a MBU where I only lasted 3 days because of my violent behaviour.. eventually spent 3 months in a general psychiatric ward
Hi Kitkat! I was sectioned too. It came to a shock to my family as I was being compliant and wanted to get better. However, there is a week I do not remember at all so I’m guessing it’s for times like that. I was in a psych ward for 10 days and in an MBU for 5 weeks (4 and 1 week of leave). I think we are sectioned for our own good, safety etc, however hard it might be.
It’s coming up for a year for me too and I’m doing a lot of reflecting, especially compiling photos of my little one in that time and I have shed a few tears.
I have a lot of negative emotions around it guilt/anger etc but ultimately I can’t change the fact it happened to me (having to remind myself it’s not my fault) and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come.
Congratulations, your little ones first birthday must be coming up and you should be so proud of yourself for what you’ve been through.
yes me too. Sectioned about 10 days after being a voluntary inpatient. Apparently they thought I wanted to leave so that’s why the sectioned me. I remember it vividly- I wanted to go to an actual hospital not an MBU as I didn’t feel I was getting better getting the help I needed.
I wish my family were consulted before the section (they weren’t) and I think it gives me a negative reminder of what happened. Obviously now I am well that’s how I feel but it was for safety reasons (not that I was going anywhere! Didn’t step outside for 4 weeks)
Hi,
I was sectioned too. It did make the entire process quite upsetting, as once I started to recover I was very cognizant that I was there against my will and I had no say on my treatment. Felt like being a prisoner. I wish it could have been avoided but unfortunately my illness had already escalated too much by the time I got help.
Yep both a section 2 (up to 28 days) and a section 3 (up to 6 months), though came off the latter after about 3 months. Made my feelings towards my baby very difficult - before they were born, I was well and had my freedom. Three years on and I’ve got a lovely relationship with them. I think one thing that is hard is that being sectioned is SO stigmatised although I reckon the majority of people who end up in an MBU are at some point - and based on my experience, everyone with an existing diagnosis e.g. bipolar was at some point.
Hi Kitkat131 I felt the same about being sectioned under section 2 of the mental health act. I didn't really understand what was going on at the time, and PP made me quite confused. Once I recovered, I had some anger about the way things had gone. I was sent to a psychiatric ward for 8 days (before going to an MBU for 2 weeks). This only made my symptoms far worse to the point of having visual hallucinations which I did not have at home. This is likely due to the very stressful environment these wards can be and lack of sleep due to the noises at night. They are not good places for anyone, let alone for a new mum who really needs to stay connected with her family and baby. Luckily it wasn't too far away for my family to visit. I was so relieved to get out of that place, and to an MBU to be reunited with my baby and some normality! 😅
I look back in it now and realise that is the best that could have been done at the time. My husband had no choice but to trust health professionals, and let them take me there. That way he could stop worrying about me, and focus on our 3 year old and 9 week old. That would have been so hard for him. It took me a while to accept other people were making decisions about me, for me! That loss of control was so hard, but luckily I trusted my husband to make the right choices, although the PP was making me paranoid and having all sorts of thoughts about not trusting those closest to me. Deep down, I knew I could trust them and the PP didn't completely take over.
I know that with time, you will see that you cannot change what happened and you can hopefully look at things with some gratitude like I have learnt too. I see that everyone did the best they could for me at the time with the tools they had. Hope knowing you are not the only one to feel this way helps 💜🙏
Hi Kitkat131,
I had PP when my son was 5 months old and was treated at home for 3 months but was not responding to medication so was admitted to an MBU. I was quickly sectioned and then it was extended and I spent 5 months there in total. I have a lot of blanks about my time at the MBU partly down to receiving ECT. I found the year anniversary of being discharged both very challenging but liberating. I wanted to fill in the blanks… wanted to have been a better mother but also grateful that I was back living my life like how it had been before I became ill. I challenged everything whilst at the MBU…I remember having a lawyer to represent me but now in hindsight…the medical team saved me and if that meant doing very harsh things like sectioning and ECT than I have had to accept it. It is part of my story that I can’t change and is very hard to accept.
What you are feeling is completely normal…. It was such a trauma…and something that was totally out of your control. Try to focus on how well you are doing now…how you can be there with your child and enjoy all these new moments with them!
Take good care x
Hi
I was sectioned within days of giving birth and was on 24 hour observation in the MBU. Once my symptoms started to improve I was given more "freedom" and was discharged after 7 weeks.
Then when my son was about 6.5 months I had a pretty bad depressive episode and went back to the same MBU as a voluntary patient
My PPP story
PPP 
Terrifying episode of PPP. 
Was it ppp??
