Park Hall Community Center, December 7th, 2017
Dear Friends,
Last night was my big book signing/educational presentation – it’s the last one I’m doing this year. I had done a ton of publicity in advance of my talk—I arranged and gave 3 local newspaper interviews, I posted flyers all over the valley, I used social media, and I was a guest on a popular Bay Area radio show.
Unfortunately, I spaced out about getting the talk recorded yet again. Drat!
I didn’t read my speech to the audience verbatim; in fact, my main mistake was going off-topic far too much, resulting in a presentation that was at least 15-20 minutes too long. I cringe thinking about it!!! The good news is that I learned my lesson and I won’t do that next time!
This talk was a benefit for NAMI/National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Valley Women’s Club and $300 was raised for them through my book & refreshment sales!
Ten-year-old Marilla sold books again and did an amazing job. My husband took care of the PowerPoint projector side of things. I’m tuckered out and plan to wait at least a month before scheduling another local talk.
Wonderful people from the Valley Women’s Club and the Friends of the Boulder Creek Library helped me with the event – they sold cookies & coffee, they helped set and clean up the room, and they provided moral support. There were also incredible friends and acquaintances who showed up such as my postpartum doula/author Salle Webber (The Gentle Art of Newborn Family Care) and my virtual friend/social media genius/blogger Carol Stephen, who I met in person for the 1st time, and my fantastic friend Martha Graham-Waldon, author of the award-winning Nothing Like Normal – Surviving a Sibling’s Schizophrenia. Martha helped Marilla sell books and they got an A+ – for doing an excellent job!
There were also strangers who moved me deeply during the Q & A session when they shared some of their own struggles. A few of them were near tears due to heartbreaking situations they were currently facing. I was able to put them in touch then and there with a perinatal therapist I knew well and she happened to be in the audience. I knew she’d be fine with the instant referral (she was) and they spoke after the talk.
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I created a handout I gave to everyone last night that’s chock full of useful info. I’ve copied it for you below.
I’m going to go get a bite to eat and watch one of my favorite Netflix or Acorn TV shows. These include Australia’s The Heart Guy, Glitch—Season 2 (which has Rodger Corser the star from The Heart Guy; he’s such a brilliant actor), New Zealand’s The Brokenwood Mysteries, and the U.K.’s Love, Lies & Records.
I wish you all a good weekend in which you take care of yourself and do some things that make you happy!
Lots of love,
Dyane
Park Hall Community Center Author Talk, December 7th, 2017
Birth of a New Brain – Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder
General Information and Resources
Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (“PMADS”)
1)Antenatal (during pregnancy) and postpartum depression
2) postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
3) postpartum psychosis
4) postpartum bipolar disorder (bipolar, peripartum onset in the DSM-5)
5) postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
5) postpartum panic disorder
6) postpartum anxiety disorder
Symptoms of Mania:
Elevated mood, irritability, pursuing goal-directed activities more than usual, heightened energy, a decreased need for sleep, excessive talkativeness, pressurized speech, racing thoughts, spending sprees, hypersexuality, and grandiosity.
Symptoms of Depression:
Feelings of anger or irritability, {postpartum-related: lack of interest in the baby, possible thoughts of harming the baby or yourself}, feelings of sadness, tearfulness, crying, emptiness or hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports, sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much, tiredness and lack of energy, even small tasks take extra effort, reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain, anxiety, agitation or restlessness, slowed thinking, slowed speaking or body movements, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame, trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things, frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide, unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.
Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis (not a complete list)
Delusions or strange beliefs
Paranoia and suspiciousness
Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)
Rapid mood swings
Dr. Mohammad Alsuwaidan’s Suggestions: Exercise for Mood Stability
1) Get your doctor’s blessing to exercise, then find an exercise you enjoy doing such as walking, hiking, yoga, swimming, running, treadmill, etc.
2) Exercise 30 minutes a day, six days a week. Research shows that this is what’s needed to affect the brain.
3) Make sure your activity is intense enough so you break a sweat and can’t maintain an ongoing conversation. (If you can’t exercise 6 days/week, shoot for a minimum of 5 days.)
(For more information please visit: medium.com/@MoAlsuwaidan)
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Santa Cruz County Chapter
http://www.namiscc.org Help Line: 831-427-8020
NAMI Santa Cruz Support Groups link: http://www.namiscc.org/groups.html
NAMI offers a variety of educational classes for consumers and caregivers
DBSA (Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance), Los Gatos/San Jose Chapter
Join DBSA San Jose/Los Gatos’ Meetup Support Group, Organizer: Mike Pearl
CaringBridge Website
Use this wonderful free resource to help organize community support, give updates during a health crisis, receive donations for medical costs and much more.
https://www.caringbridge.org/how-it-works
Postpartum Support International Warmline
PSI Warmline: (Toll-free) 1-800-944-4PPD (4773) You’re welcome to leave a confidential message anytime, and one of the Warmline volunteers will return your call as soon as possible, providing you with basic information, support, and resources in your area. If you’re not able to talk when the volunteer calls you, you can arrange another time to connect.
International Bipolar Foundation
http://www.ibpf.org (858) 764-2496, comprehensive information & resources about bipolar disorder
BP/Bipolar Magazine
Suicide Hotline Numbers
If you’re in the U.S. and thinking about suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800- 273-TALK (8255) suicidepreventionlifeline.org—they are open 24 hours, 7 days a week. You’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area.If you’re outside the U.S., please visit this link for a list of international suicide hotlines: suicide.org/international-suicide- hotlines.html
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) has a database of international crisis centers at iasp.info/resources/ Crisis_Centres/
Postpartum Psychosis Resources
“What is Postpartum Psychosis? Teresa Twomey, TEDxBushnellPark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7gyRpTkSP0
Author of Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: A Temporary Madness
Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP)
The APP website offers a link to a private forum for mothers with postpartum psychosis and/or bipolar disorder.
Emotional Support Animals
An emotional support animal (ESA) is a companion animal that a medical professional has determined provides benefit for an individual with a disability. This may include improving at least one symptom of the disability. Emotional support animals, typically dogs, but sometimes cats or other animals, may be used by people with a range of physical, psychiatric, or intellectual disabilities. In order to be prescribed an emotional support animal the person seeking such an animal must have a verifiable disability. To be afforded protection under United States federal law, a person must meet the federal definition of disability and must have a note from a physician or other medical professional stating that the person has that disability and that the emotional support animal provides a benefit for the individual with the disability. An animal does not need specific training to become an emotional support animal.[1] Persons with disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a waiver of a “no pets policy”, for any assistance animal, including an emotional support animal, under both the FHAA and Section 504.[3]
Mom & Mind Podcast with Dr. Kaeni & Dyane Harwood
Episode 70, Postpartum Bipolar Disorder
Dyane Harwood’s Website
Sign up for Dyane’s newsletter—just scroll down to the bottom of the page for occasional e-updates about events.
Recommended Blog
Kitt O’Malley www.kittomalley.blog
Birth of a New Brain – Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder
Foreword by the perinatal psychiatrist and acclaimed author Dr. Carol Henshaw.
Now available on Amazon in paperback & Kindle versions!
Dyane Harwood 
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