Fwd: Postpartum Depression Stigma Fading ?

Q: One woman in the Comcast.net story opposed the bill, citing concerns over too much screening. “Where does it end?” she asked. “What makes screening for postpartum depression more important then, say, a thyroid condition? If you start mandating what to screen for, where does it stop?”

A:Since most of the college-age set has not yet experienced parenthood, words such as “postpartum depression” may mean very little to you. Though brought to the attention of the nation by a crazy man who jumps on couches, postpartum depression is a very real problem, yet has been kept somewhat hush-hush. Mothers have said they’ve felt embarrassed or unqualified, or that they were overreacting when they experienced symptoms of the disorder. Some experts estimate 80 percent of women experience symptoms of postpartum depression after they give birth. Of course, if you ask postpartum depression is cured by vitamins or the methods of his controversial religion, Scientology. He publicly criticized actress

Brooke Shields for using antidepressants in conjunction with therapy to treat her postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter. signing a bill requiring health care professionals providing postnatal care to screen new mothers for postpartum depression, the bill also requires them to educate women and their families about the disorder. Former New Jersey governor and current Sen. Richard J. Codey drafted the bill because he experienced the disease first-hand while his wife dealt with postpartum depression, saying, “I know, first-hand, the grief caused by postpartum depression and it is not something that any woman should have to suffer alone in silence.”