For Men
How Fathers, Family, Friends Can Help
Sarah Schwartz is a survivor. She struggled with bouts of depression before she got pregnant and then experienced anxiety during her pregnancy. Being a mom should be an exciting time for both mother and baby; however, it is often overwhelming and complicated. Sarah felt having her son, Health was the best thing that had ever happened to her. The feeling did not last. Sarah says the very day she brought Health home from the hospital was when the feelings and thoughts started to happen. She was a first time mom and type A personality. Sarah knows it was postpartum depression that she struggled with. "And when you are in it, when you are in the throes of it, you cannot see a way out. All you can see is, Oh my god, what have I done." - Sarah
Sarah Schwartz shares her story because she has worked in mental health for over 20 years as a social worker at a nonprofit called Mental Health America of Georgia. She claims that she was so sick that despite her knowledge of the illness, she still didn't recognize herself as being sick. She understood for the first time in her life why people commit suicide. Although she never got to that point, she got close. She found a website called postpartumprogress.com that shares stories of women just like her who share their feelings, thoughts, and stories with others who are able to identify with the illness.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/23746924/local-woman-shares-battle-with-postpartum-depression