While recovering from major surgery I spent a lot of time watching TV. I happened to catch parts of the interview Tom Cruise gave to Access Hollywood's Billy Bush. When I heard him call Brooke Shields irresponsible for taking medication to help her deal with her postpartum depression, I was ready to throw the remote at the TV! Calling psychiatry a "pseudo-science" in reference to postpartum depression made me incredibly angry.
I positively could not believe this man was berating a woman for taking medication for postpartum depression! If he wanted to make his claim that psychology is a "pseudo-science" he really should have picked a better example, in my opinion. How he could possibly think he could accurately or responsibly make judgements on treatments for postpartum depression, is ridiculous. Again, that's my opinion just as his claims are his opinion.
I honestly believe I have a better perspective as a woman who has actually experienced postpartum depression and severe anxiety after the birth of one of my children. Brooke Shields refers to it as a "black hole". I referred to it as "the pit of hell". I believe in some ways I might have an even better perspective because I didn't get help from my doctor. The fear of being labeled as "crazy", "irresponsible" or whatever, was overwhelming but I was powerless to stop the anxiety, sadness and fear.
I struggled and clawed my way back to some sense of normalcy with the help of my husband and mother-in-law. In truth, my poor husband was scared I'd never regain my mind and really frustrated with me at the same time. Thankfully for me, my mother-in-law had gone through the same thing after she had her second child. If she hadn't recognized immediately what was happening and stepped in to take care of me, I probably would not be here. The stigma of telling my doctor I was losing my mind and the repercussions that would cause, real or imagined, was worse than death at the time. I just knew I'd be thrown in some mental hospital and lose my children forever.
As I think back on those horrible days and what Mr. Cruise has spouted I cannot believe his irresponsibility! For someone of his wide-spread appeal (especially to women) to slap such a label on a woman for seeking medical help at a critical time is the epitome of irresponsibility, in my opinion. In essence what I heard him say is that any woman who seeks professional medical help for postpartum depression is irresponsible. What else does one take away from this statement:
"These drugs are dangerous. I have actually helped people come off. When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. There is a hormonal thing that is going on, scientifically, you can prove that. But when you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things."
My first reactive thought was "Does he honestly think vitamins would have helped Andrea Yates? Would vitamins have saved her five children?" I don't think vitamins of any kind would have helped that woman or those children.
To tout that women who seek help in the form of psychiatry or drugs while in the throes of postpartum depression are "irresponsible", ticks me off to no end! Live it first, Buster! I did. And, as someone who has lived it I STRONGLY urge every single woman who has more than a few days of a mild case of the "blues" to pick up the phone and call your doctor! If you don't feel like you can talk to your doctor, tell your husband, your mother, mother-in-law, friend, pastor, pharmacist - WHOEVER! Don't not sit and suffer.
There IS a way out of "the pit of hell" or the "black hole". There will be light at the end of the tunnel. As a mother of a newborn it's ok to feel overwhelmed and any other emotion that may knock you on your butt or put you on cloud nine. What is not ok, is to suffer when help is truly available. It may not come in the form of a pill for you. It may not be anything more than understanding and compassion, but whatever form it comes in, it IS ok. As a responsible mother you will seek help, for your child's sake. Don't listen to Tom Cruise, he hasn't been there and done that and never will.
What do you think? Join us in the Early Childhood Forum and share your opinion and/or vote in the poll asking if Tom Cruise is right or wrong.
