Read Inferno by Catherine Cho
Inferno by Catherine Cho is a beautifully written memoir of postpartum psychosis. It reminded me so much of my own psychosis. Stress and sleep deprivation are common threads that can cause a healthy new mom to lose touch with reality. Catherine vividly describes her struggle to know what is real, writing her truths on a folded piece of paper.
I am alive. Real.
I am married to James. Real.
James loves me. Real.
I have a son. Real…
Inferno is available in hardcover, paperback, kindle and audible formats. You can follow the author @Catkcho on Twitter.
In honor of World Maternal Mental Health Day, May 5, 2021, I invite you to watch the interview of Catherine with Jessie Hunt of Action on Postpartum Psychosis, UK. Like so many new mothers, Catherine had never heard of postpartum psychosis before she experienced it. By speaking out, Catherine is helping to reduce the stigma of this disease. Thank you, Catherine, for so bravery and eloquently revealing the saga of your psychosis.
Catherine shares how being separated from her son for two weeks while she was hospitalized on a psych ward severed her mother-baby bond. I felt a similar experience—a sense of grief, loss, and guilt. Breastfeeding helps forge a special bond between mother and baby. New mothers with psychosis often receive strong medication, and may be advised not to breastfeed. It’s also difficult to pump and express breast milk for two weeks. Most traditional psych wards are not set up for this. A mother-baby unit, more common in the UK than in the US, facilitates maintaining the mother-baby bond. These units typically are also equipped to help the mother pump her milk, even if she has to discard some because of medication.
Catherine vividly describes the other residents on the psych ward, and her feelings that she doesn’t belong there. She is a professional woman with an advanced degree, a home, a job, a family—things that many of the other residents lack, and that would help them with their recovery.
Postpartum psychosis can strike any mom, and many have no prior experience with mental illness. Catherine shares that the psychosis helped her develop a deeper sense of empathy for those with mental illness. I felt the same.
To learn more about postpartum psychosis, and find resources, visit the website of Postpartum Support International.
Inferno by Catherine Cho
