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Yes! You read it right. And you ask why? I’ll tell you why. It’s a known fact that motherhood is one of the divine sanctions on this planet, why? Because it brings cheer and bliss in your life in the shape of a small human, plus, it brings you a little closer to God, as you go through a literal holy journey by bringing a human being into life. But how could motherhood be a curse you must be pondering on? But it has its downsides as well. It is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth and may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, changes in sleeping patterns, and crying episodes.
Postpartum Depression – PPD is common among Pakistani women with the rate of 28 percent to 63 percent, placing it among the highest in Asia. More than half of the Pakistani women have no awareness and apprehension about it, mainly due to the lack of education. Also because of the hypocrite laws of the societies created for women forces them to immediately adapt to the role of “a perfect mother” from the very time they give birth, which enables them to think through things and realize what is actually happening to them and how to battle it. The new mothers are not allowed to do any “nakhrey” and are not at all given any chance to set into new adjustments in their sleeping schedules because of the baby.
The sad part is that it creates a big barrier between the mother and the child. And she starts to detach herself from her child. Sometimes they start to hate her child and it gets so severe that they could even wish to abandon their child or they might want to end their or their baby’s life.
On June 20th, 2001, a resident of Houston Texas, USA, Andrea Pia Kennedy Yates, a mother of five confessed of drowning all of her children in their very own bathtub and she suffered severe postpartum psychosis. She had suicidal thoughts and suffered from depression too. Currently, she’s in prison for murdering her five children according to the court of USA. The devastating story of Andrea Yates shows to which extent the PPD patients go to if not treated on time.
Few Hollywood celebrities like Gwenyth Paltrow, Courtney Cox, Brooke Shields Hayden Panettiere have openly shared their PPD with the world, despite cultural stigma against discussing motherhood in less than glowing terms.
With society putting too much pressure on mothers makes the most precious job in the world look like a torment an agony, which also makes the mothers feel like they’re not good at their jobs. But I think it is the society which needs to be schooled on PPD as it still does not permit itself to acknowledge PPD as a mental condition but rather taboos it. And labels the patients suffering from it as psychos and lunatics.
The weight also falls onto the shoulders of the husbands and that is to support and care for their wives and educate themselves regarding PPD. Husbands should also stand up for their wives and shield them from the misunderstanding and mistreatment of the society, family, and friends. THEY should show the world that the mothers are not alone in this battle against PPD and that it is a treatable condition.
The mothers should also come forward and share their condition with their friends and family so that they could be treated on time. The condition should be recognized and treated so that no other mother like Andrea Yates would harm their children by giving into this deadly mental condition.
