Like all new mothers, the feeling when her first child was placed on Lisa Abramson’s chest after giving birth was a moment of pure bliss.
“I felt better than ever and was happy to have extra energy. I felt high when I left the hospital and even attended a morning spin class at 6 a.m. a few days after giving birth. I was doing it.”
But she didn’t realize that this burst of manic energy was one of the first warning signs of a rare mental breakdown that occurs in new moms, known as postpartum psychosis.
Within a month, her daughter’s love for Lucy quickly turned to anxiety, then paranoia, and then suicidal thoughts.
“I went temporarily insane,” the now 41-year-old told DailyMail.com. At one point, her paranoia reached its peak, believing that she was being watched in her home and that a sniper was coming to arrest her for a crime she did not commit.
As her mental state worsened, the normally smiling blonde considered throwing herself off the Golden Gate Bridge, believing her family would be better off without her.
Lisa Abramson was diagnosed with severe postpartum psychosis after her first pregnancy
Thanks to the quick response of friends and family, Ms. Abramson was diagnosed with severe postpartum psychosis and spent 10 days in a psychiatric ward.
After being stabilized with a combination of medications, the Tennessee-based mother was able to return to her family, who helped her continue her rehabilitation.
Detailing how her postpartum psychosis developed, Mrs Abramson said: “After the birth of my first daughter Lucy, I immediately became obsessed with her and was extremely protective of her to ensure she received the best possible care.” I did.
“But within a few weeks I reached a breaking point. Having a child temporarily drove me crazy.
“When I had problems breastfeeding and my baby wasn’t gaining enough weight, I worried and felt guilty about not being able to feed my baby.
“My pediatrician recommended that I breastfeed, express the remaining milk, and bottle-feed the baby every two hours.
“I once felt that this extra energy quickly depleted and I found it difficult to sleep at night, even when my husband was helping me with night shifts.
“As I became more and more exhausted, my mood plummeted. An overwhelming feeling that I was failing as a mother and the guilt of not being perfect weighed heavily on me.”
Action on Postnatal Psychosis, a UK-based maternal mental health charity, says that new mothers with the condition can be “extremely energetic and feel like ‘supermoms’, or are excited and restless.” “There is a possibility that people will start to feel that way.”
These highs are followed by extreme lows mixed with frequent crying, fatigue, guilt, and anxiety.
Unfortunately, little is known about the causes of postpartum psychosis. Many factors can lead to episodes, including lack of sleep, major hormonal changes that occur after birth, stress, and even previous mental health problems.
Mrs Abramson had no prior mental health concerns and it was an isolated incident for her.
She told DailyMail.com how her mental state gradually deteriorated: “As I tried to stick to this aggressive eating schedule, I started to feel more and more stressed, tired, and confused.”
“As my sleep deprivation progressed, I began to repeatedly enter and exit dream-like states, and I began to experience paranoia and fear.
After a combination of medications stabilized her condition, Ms. Abramson was able to return to her family, who helped her continue the rehabilitation process.
“Finally, I felt so insane that I asked my mother, who was with my husband, if I should jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.”
One night, in her delusions, she convinced herself that there were spy cameras outside her window and a sniper on the roof.
She recalled:police were hats They came to arrest me for the crime I was falsely accused of.
“I thought they were about to do it.” will come and break me Take me through the front door. In other words, I was losing my mind. ”
In 2014, in the throes of postpartum psychosis, Mrs. Abramson said this question to her loved ones seemed “very reasonable” and that suicide was “the only way to escape this horrible confusion and paranoia.” It felt like that,” he said.
Thanks to quick treatment at the hospital and medicines, the new mother was able to make a full recovery.
Postpartum psychosis was a harrowing experience, but the executive coach says it didn’t deter her from having another child
She said she had considered taking her own life but never considered killing her baby. This can happen to some new mothers who are experiencing a manic episode.
Action on Postpartum Psychosis points out that one common symptom of postpartum psychosis is that mothers feel that their baby is “in some way connected to God or the devil.”
In addition to medication, Ms Abramson said a combination of sleep, family support, meditation, acupuncture and weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions were “crucial” to her recovery.
Postpartum psychosis was a harrowing experience, but the business leadership coach says it didn’t deter her from having another child.
Thankfully, when my second daughter was born three years later in 2017, she never experienced this condition, or even mild symptoms.
For other new moms experiencing postpartum depression or psychosis, Mrs. Abramson has some tips.
She concluded: “New moms need to know that they are not alone and that things will get better.”
“Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency, but it is also a temporary, treatable illness.
“Unfortunately, there is still shame and stigma around accessing mental health support, which prevents mothers from speaking up when symptoms arise.
“I think there are five things that are important for mothers going through this to remember: One, it’s not your fault.
“Two, you are not alone. Third, there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of.
“Four, this doesn’t make you a bad mother and has nothing to do with how much you love your child.
“And number five, it will get better. Get help right away.”
Mrs. Abramson’s book, Permission to Fail: The Overachiever’s Guide to Becoming Unstoppable, details how to overcome postpartum psychosis.
