Learning that your partner has postnatal psychosis will be tough. Postnatal psychosis affects 1 to 2 women in every 1000 after childbirth. It’s a potentially life-threatening condition that can put both mother and baby at risk. Seeing your partner being affected by postnatal psychosis can feel overwhelming, confronting and be scary to watch.
It’s important to remember that postnatal psychosis is treatable. The sooner you seek help, the better.
Recognising the warning signs and symptoms of postnatal psychosis and seeking urgent medical assistance is essential. If you’re a new parent and suspect your partner has developed symptoms of postnatal psychosis, you need to seek help immediately. Support options are listed below.
Women with postnatal psychosis will almost always need admission to hospital for specialised mental health assessment, care and treatment. After the initial treatment period, your partner will need significant ongoing support and care throughout her recovery process.
“My husband was a pillar of strength. He propped me up when I was low, and most importantly he loved me and told me I'd be laughing about this whole ordeal in time. And laugh we did! But there were also tears as we adjusted to our new role of parenting and the strain an episode of postnatal psychosis adds to any relationship.””
Postnatal psychosis is treatable
Most people know very little about postnatal psychosis, so watching your partner experience it may come as a shock. Changes in mood and thinking are often sudden and dramatic. Postnatal psychosis can cause your partner to experience loss of contact with reality and behave in ways that seem out of character.
Fortunately, postnatal psychosis is temporary and treatable. Women generally experience a full recovery with the following key elements of care:
- Appropriate treatment.
- Time to rest and recover.
- The loving support of their partner, family and friends.
“The weeks that followed were very hard on not just me, but my husband and my family. I was frightened, confused, withdrawn, pestered by illogical thoughts that randomly popped into my head.”
Causes of postnatal psychosis
Research suggest that the following women are at greater risk of developing postnatal psychosis:
- Women who have a history or diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
- Women who have experienced postnatal psychosis after previous births.
- Women with a family history of postnatal psychosis or bipolar disorder.
Severe sleep deprivation and rapid hormonal changes following childbirth may also be contributing factors.
Many women will only experience one episode of postnatal psychosis, while others may develop postnatal psychosis after the births of more than one of their babies. For some women, postnatal psychosis may mark the first episode of bipolar disorder.
Getting Help for postnatal psychosis
If your partner is experiencing symptoms of postnatal psychosis, she may be so unwell she’s unable to seek help herself. She may even be reluctant or resistant to speaking to anyone, and/or accessing support – this is common for people experiencing a psychotic episode.
It’s highly likely that the decision to seek treatment will fall to you. While it can feel difficult to take this step, postnatal psychosis requires urgent medical attention.
If you’re concerned about your partner, you can:
- Take her to a GP
- Take her to the nearest hospital’s emergency department
- Call PANDA’s Helpline on 1300 726 306
- Call your local 24/7 acute mental health team for support (contact details are at the bottom of this page)
- Call 000 if you think your partner is a danger to herself, your baby or anyone else, and you cannot get her to a GP or the hospital
When seeking help make sure to tell reception or health care staff that her behaviour is unusual, that she has a very young baby and that you think she may have postnatal psychosis.
If you are concerned about your partner or your baby’s immediate safety,you’ll need to call 000 for an ambulance or the police.
Again, make sure to say that her behaviour is unusual and potentially dangerous, that she has a very young baby and that you think she has postnatal psychosis.
“I took solace in my husband's reassurances that he knew it wasn't the real me, and that like any 'injury' he understood it would take time to recover.”
State Mental Health Lines
If you need help now, call your state's mental health crisis line for immediate expert support. They will help you work out which services can best help. This could be the doctor, a hospital emergency department or a community mental health service. Sometimes, the mental health emergency response team will be sent to you, wherever you are.
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ACT
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NSW
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NT
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QLD
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SA
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TAS
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VIC
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WA