When I started online support for those affected by PNI ( including what is called PND, and PP, PPD, Perinatal mental health) it was merely my own home page.
A place where I told my own story and had the hope of reaching others who had or still suffered the same thing, and I had no idea it would continue for so long or develop as it has.
In 1989 when I started this home page I was myself recovered, although like many having had PNI had lasting effects on my life although not all bad, many were positive and it certainly changed me for the better as a person.
But the thing that prompted me most to start the home page was a couple of years before a young woman, the wife of my husband's friend took her own life due to PNI.
Since then she is not the only woman I have known and at times supported that have taken their own lives. Thankfully most /many do not reach this point, but this does not minimise what the many women who survive PNI go through.
It is a devastating and so cruel illness. One you get at the time of your life when you know, or feel you should, be experiencing the most joy. A time when you have recently had the wonder of bringing a new life into this world, or even before for many, when you are pregnant; and then PNI or even prenatal illness strikes you and often without any warning at all.
This makes it a very cruel illness.
I was already by that time, in 1989, a telephone supporter for the APNI, which is a very much one to one thing, but I found I wanted to reach out to more, and to as many as possible.
Even though I lived fairly close to this mother, and tried as much as I was able, I could not prevent her death, and realised that maybe I could never help prevent such unnecessary deaths - we often can not prevent such things , it is rarely about you, someone has to be able and ready to hear you - but I wanted to try in my own way to reach other mothers with this and endeavour that others were not as isolated as we were.
In around 1999 I added a forum, which was discontinued in 2004 when the free forum provider I used went out of business, so I started a new forum in 2004 using ProBoards, which continues to this day. I also also re- wrote the web site myself to make it into a community site and not a home page.
Others along the way joined me and we became a registered UK charity.
I could not have done this without the help of the women, mostly current sufferers and survivors who have joined in with my initial idea and carried it forward. And now I am so grateful that another has come forward to maintain and re-write the web site as this is a task I was running out of steam with.
Thank you so much Natailie and also all at technophobia technophobia.com/
At the time, in 1989, I did not realise I was doing, or attempting to do, was what is now called 'social networking' ; but in my case on a specific subject. Nor did I, and many others, realise the potential value of such social networking/community sites.
In the early days was often questioned about my motives, some even suggested I was somehow trying to make money for myself!! Others felt I was mentally ill and trying to harm other women, others thought I must be a self publicist.
I guess I was a victim of early online bullying at a time there was no way to counter it?
But also many more people, mainly women suffers but also partners, relatives and friends of those who suffer or suffered PNI gave positive feedback of how useful it was to them. This made it all so worth while.
So I, and later, we, plodded on.
In many ways it has been a hard journey, and a huge learning curve. Not just for me but also for others involved, but I am so very glad I started it and it has grown as it has.
I am overjoyed that we are now on this Health Unlocked web site as I hope we can reach even more people who are affected by PNI in some way.
Thank you all for allowing me to do this and a huge thank you to those who have carried it forward after me and ensured its future.
Without the women that have used this service and those who have worked tirelessly in the background to voluntarily do the work of the charity, the web site and answer posts and emails ( no one at PNI ORG UK has ever been paid or even got expenses, we have never attracted enough funds or grant aid for this)
This service would never have been possible without you all - you know who you are 
Thank you all
Veritee XXX
xxx
