One in five people suffer from mood disorders, but less than half present themselves for treatment
If mental illness is a taboo, post-partum depression is a greater taboo, says singer-songwriter Amy Sky.
“It is embarrassing for a radiant mother to be depressed,” says Sky, who suffered from post-partum depression after the birth of her two children, now teenagers.
Sky was awarded the 2006 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Courage to Come Back Award for her efforts in raising awareness about the infliction.
She has been spreading the word about post-partum depression, a biochemical hormonal upheaval that causes the brain to function in a distorted way, since revealing her struggles while performing at an Ontario Association of Mood Disorders function last year called Mad About You.
“If I was having trouble bringing information to the public, what could a private person do about it? I am a professional communicator, so I decided to jump in,” said Sky at a recent lecture sponsored by Lodger Congregation adult education committee, chaired by Rabbi Matthew Kaufman.
The reaction from people has been one of overwhelming support and gratitude, she said. “One in five people suffer from mood disorders, but less than half present themselves for treatment. That figure is too low. Mental health issues are way more prevalent than professionals understand.”
She thinks of mental health as a bike wheel, she said. “The more spokes that get knocked out, the more chance we have of being unbalanced.”
When her daughter Zoe was born, she said, “I was exhausted, and I began having hallucinations and anxiety attacks. I became conscious of all the wires in my house, and I had an irrational fear that I would be electrocuted.
“My brain had split in two. One part was invested in my daughter’s well-being and the other part wanted to check out.”
In addition, she said, she was in constant physical discomfort. “Walking, standing and sitting was painful. The spokes in my wheel were [all] being knocked out.”
This behaviour was out of keeping with her personality, she said. “I knew something was wrong, and my mother-in-law was the first person to suggest post-partum depression, but I thought ‘me depressed?’”
She did consult a doctor, however, who confirmed that she had post-partum depression.
“I did not want to take anti-depressants because I was nursing, so I went back to bed and waited to feel normal again. Eventually I had more good days than bad, and life began to resume a normal rhythm.”
When her son was born two years later, she said, she had a mild relapse of post-partum depression, and in 2000 she had a third bout of depression for which she did take anti-depressants. “They were like a magic bullet. Along with a complementary course of anxiety management and cognitive therapy, I was lifted out of my depression, and I was anxiety free. I was amazed. I realized that there is a whole other way of living day to day.
“Even after weaning myself off the anti-depressants, I continue to use the strategies I learned. Good nutrition, nutrition supplements and exercise have been my greatest allies.
“Once a person has a depressive episode, they are always a candidate for a relapse. Depression is a cancer of the soul – it needs to be treated with care.”
It is essential for new mothers to have non-judgmental and informed support in the delicate period following birth, said Sky.
“The post-partum period is complemented by hormonal changes and lifestyle changes, and every woman is at risk.”
Sky played her song I Will Take Care of You that came out before she went public with her depression. “I made a veiled reference to my depression in the first verse when the mother said to her child, “I’m just as scared as you.”
She dreams of the day, she said, when it will not be distasteful to talk about a mood disorder. “I hope that by sharing my journey [I will motivate] anyone to seek help as they would seek help for a physical condition.”
Canadian Jewish News
