An “epidemic of silence” about postpartum psychosis has turned into a “chorus of courageous voices.” Please welcome a new and lyrical spokesperson – Sarah Townsend, author of “Setting the Wire, A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis.” You can purchase a copy through Lettered Streets Press, Amazon or the PSI bookstore.
Here are a few lines that spoke to me and echoed my own personal experiences…
“Altered brain chemistry pushed me outside of myself like a rip tide even as I fight to come closer to shore. I can’t sleep. I am leaving.”
“Thick forearms brace my body from behind and hands grasp each of my limbs … I scream as I’m hauled to a thick padded room … This will become a memory that I’m ashamed to remember.”
“As I write this memory, tears mix with ink on my yellow legal pad. Perhaps I should let the tears do the writing.”
Sarah poignantly shares her sorrow at not being able to breastfeed and her sadness in looking back at photos of herself during her psychosis. She writes of the love and support she received from her husband Roger. He sounds like an amazing man!
When I started writing a fictional account of my postpartum psychosis back in 2003, very few women had spoken out about their experience, and I had never met another person who had been through a similar experience. A lot has changed since then.
In 2009, Teresa Twomey’s “Understanding Postpartum Psychosis, a Temporary Madness” was published. She was, and still is, a ferocious leader for our cause, writing a much-needed nonfiction book that explores the psychological, social and legal aspects of postpartum psychosis, then facilitating a Facebook Postpartum Psychosis Forum.
The past 10 years have produced a chorus of books, blogs, performances, and networks to support women who experienced postpartum psychosis. I’ve personally met many courageous survivors—Teresa Twomey, Michele Davidson, Jennifer Moyer, Angela Burling, Melissa Bangs—just to name a few.
In 2019, PSI helped to facilitate a more formal Postpartum Psychosis Task Force. At our first meeting we decided on two focus areas: Legislative/Legal Effort/Justice Advocacy and Reducing Stigma/Sharing Stories. I found Sarah through the task force, and I was touched by her moving story. I’m really excited about the possibilities for supporting women who experience postpartum psychosis in the next decade.
If you’re searching for a beautifully written book about postpartum psychosis—for yourself, a survivor or family member, or a mental health professional—I would highly recommend, “Setting the Wire.”
