‘I was sectioned two weeks after I gave birth’
Hannah Bissett, 38, battled with postpartum psychosis after her son was born. She talks about her terrifying ordeal and how she recovered…
When I fell pregnant with my son Sebastian in January 2010, I couldn’t wait to be a mum. I’d never suffered from any mental health problems and had a busy job working for the council and lots of friends. I never imagined I’d suffer from postnatal depression, let alone postpartum psychosis – a severe mental illness affecting women after child birth.
“My pregnancy was smooth, but I had a difficult labour. I was four days overdue and, as I tried to push, Sebastian got stuck. Eventually, I had to have a C-section. When I held my son in my arms, I felt overwhelmed with love. He was a perfect blend of myself and my husband Stephen, 37.
“But when I got home, the problems started. I felt erratic and on edge. I’d pace the house for hours in the night and felt like I wasn’t coping. I worried about the smallest things and was convinced something was wrong with Sebastian.
HALLUCINATIONS
“Stephen and my midwife were worried, so I went to see my GP a week after I gave birth. She wasn’t overly concerned, but my symptoms worsened and Stephen took me to see another GP after that. I didn’t understand why I was there. I sat down, tired and dishevelled, and unloaded everything from the baby’s bag on to the doctor’s desk. I don’t know why…it made no sense.
“The GP referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with severe depression and gave me medication, but I refused to take it. I said there was nothing wrong with me.
“Then the symptoms got more severe. I started hallucinating and saw dead birds on the kitchen floor. I took Sebastian outside in the freezing cold, wrapped in just a blanket, convinced we’d be safer out there. I heard voices too, telling me something was wrong with my son. It was really scary.
“Things got so bad I was sectioned and admitted to a psychiatric unit two weeks after Sebastian was born. I was in a daze; I’d lost my grip on reality.
ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY
“I started a course of stronger medication but nothing seemed to work. I was barely eating and drinking and lost 2st in a matter of weeks. I was falling apart. It was terrifying not understanding what was wrong. I had a picture of Sebastian by my bed and, at times, I thought he’d died and that’s why I was there.
“Two weeks after being sectioned, I was transferred to a mental health unit and doctors decided to try electric convulsive therapy, a treatment used in extreme cases when patients aren’t responding to medication. It can help change patterns of blood flow to the brain and the part that affects your mood.
“I was given a general anaesthetic and when I came round, I felt a bit dazed. Over the next two months I had 12 treatments. Over time, the dark cloud began to lift. Doctors told me I was suffering from postpartum psychosis, which affects around one in 1,000 women. I was shocked, but relieved to know what was wrong. I was discharged in January 2010, but I continued taking medication until 2012.
“Stephen and I agreed we wanted another baby, but doctors advised us to wait a while, until I was feeling stable. I gave birth to Reuben in 2013 and, fortunately, didn’t suffer any symptoms.
“My postpartum psychosis is in the past and I now work for charity Action On Postpartum Psychosis so I can help raise awareness of this condition. With the right support, you can get through it.”