Eyes Without Sparkle: A Journey Through Postnatal IllnessOne day you will feel better... Eyes without Sparkle is a powerful medical autobiography describing the journey followed by the author into, through, and out of puerperal psychosis, the most severe form of postnatal depression. With vivid and intimate descriptions of events and the author's feelings, this is the only book offering a single first-hand account of postnatal illness. The book serves as an inspiration for anyone suffering from or involved with a depressive illness. For health and social care professionals it is a reflective guide to learning from patients' experiences, and the examples of positive and negative aspects of treatment can inform mental health services and policies. |
Contents
Prologue | xvi |
My life before becoming a Hanzak | 1 |
Nick and I | 6 |
The birth | 16 |
First days on the ward | 22 |
Coming home | 27 |
Another hospital stay | 33 |
Were going to the Lake District | 40 |
Becoming institutionalised | 102 |
Looking up and outwards | 113 |
Discharge day | 120 |
Hes almost one | 128 |
Another summer | 137 |
Back to school | 144 |
Springtime | 158 |
Back to reality | 165 |
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Common terms and phrases
antenatal antidepressants asked baby began better birth busy Cathy Cathy's chat child christening Christmas church Claire coffee morning cope couple decided Diana Lynn disturbed doctor Dominic's dressed drink e-mail enjoyed everything father feel felt friends go back grandparents happy health visitor holiday hospital huge knew lady later Lionel Richie looked loved lunch managed Marks and Spencer mastitis meal mental health mental illness midwife months mother National Childbirth Trust needed Nick Nick's night nurse panic panic attack parents patients photographs postnatal depression Postpartum Support International pregnancy problems psychiatric hospital puerperal psychosis realised relax seemed self-harm settle sleep slept smile someone spent staff stay talk things thought tired told took Dominic tried trip walk wanted ward water birth Website week weekend whilst women worry