BETH

BETH: A Story of Postpartum Psychosis contains a true story of the suffering of my own daughter during an intense five months of the worse scenario of postpartum illness. This most severe form of postpartum illness is characterized by confusion, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, agitation and disorganized speech and behavior. All of these are illustrated in this story. There has been no other book written from this perspective purely on postpartum psychosis.

This story is told as an observer and confidante of my only daughter after the birth of her first child. Step by step I watched in horror as she became more distant from everyone and eventually took her own life. It tells of the gruesome reality of someone who becomes a different personality at the most important time of her life and the impact it had on our family and friends.

Included is a biological background of Beth, the psychotic experience, how we handled this medically and emotionally, the grief that ensued, and how I became involved in helping others with similar postpartum illnesses. I had never heard of this biologically based illness. Immediate hospitalization is required with appropriate medications.

The reader will become educated and find resources to help others through proven medical facts. We must give each new mother, with any postpartum mental illness, the message that she is never alone, she is blameless, and she will get better in time with the proper treatment.

Shirley Cervene Halvorson is a retired teacher of music and mathematics and has been educating new mothers and families about postpartum mental illness since the death of her daughter as a result of postpartum psychosis 16 years ago.

As a member of both Depression After Delivery, Inc.(DAD) and Postpartum Support International (PSI) since 1987, she is also North Carolina Coordinator for Postpartum Support International. She is also founder of North Carolina Depression After Delivery and a member of the NC Perinatal Mental Health Committee.

She is the recipient of a service award from DAD and the Jane Honikman award from PSI. She has been a telephone contact person for both DAD and PSI for 15 years, assisting new mothers and families through the crisis of postpartum mental health.

Shirley writes postpartum materials for the NCDAD organization. She became certified in Assessment and Treatment from PSI in June, 2003.