Posted by Racer on February 19, 2006, at 15:27:59
In reply to Re: Interesting.... » AuntieMel, posted by James K on February 6, 2006, at 9:07:19
This has been a very interesting thread to me, although very disturbing. Think about this:
The topic under discussion is the legal fate of a woman who, during post partum PSYCHOSIS, drowned her children, believing that by doing so, she would be saving them from an eternity in Hell. The people discussing this topic are all part of an online community who share in common -- MENTAL ILLNESS.
If those of us who have first (or sometimes second) hand knowledge of mental illness can't look at her with empathy and compassion, doesn't that make a pretty profound statement about our views -- individual and societal -- about mental illness? How would you like to be judged by the sorts of standards that are apparently being applied here?
Also, please don't lose sight of the fact that this woman was not suffering from post partum depression. She was suffering from post partum psychosis. Also, her doctor had recently abruptly discontinued ALL of her medication, which means she was probably experiencing withdrawal as well as the psychosis itself. Also, there was more than adequate evidence that something was very wrong, and that she needed additional help. There is no excuse for the fact that she hadn't received more extensive treatment, there was no doubt that she was sick, and that she needed it. From the information I read at the time, she probably should have been in patient until her drugs could be worked out, at the very least, before she was left alone to cope with five children at home, alone, without a break.
As for everyone here, can we at least put ourselves back into our darkest days, and remember what they were like? How agonizing it was? I once planned suicide, and had everything arranged for it -- but knowing that no one else would take my big cat, I finally couldn't do it, not because I couldn't end my own life, but because I couldn't end his. That's probably the difference between depression and psychotic depression, and I certainly could feel compassion for Mrs Yates.
And I was also of the opinion that her husband should have had some consequences, and her doctor as well.
poster:Racer
thread:605722
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20060204/msgs/611130.html