Woman suffers postpartum psychosis and tries to kill husband and newborn daughter

British Laura, 35, said she tried to kill her husband and her newborn daughter, as she had hallucinations resulting from postpartum psychosis. According to a program on the British TV channel “Channel 4”, she was in a car with the two of them and tried to throw him against a wall. Upon realizing what happened, her father managed to turn off the vehicle.

Laura reports that she was awake for a period of 40 hours after having recurring nightmares that her daughter, Olivia, would be molested and dumped somewhere. The woman also says that she started to be aggressive towards her husband, as she resented the fact that he was able to sleep and she was not.

Laura says she feels guilty, despite understanding that she wasn’t herself at that moment. “No one should have to go through what Dan went through. No one should have to scream for their life.”

The woman was detained in an NHS health unit – the United Kingdom’s public health system, in a ward reserved for mothers and children. She undergoes treatment for postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum psychosis

Postpartum psychosis is a rare condition that is more serious than postpartum depression. Women may experience symptoms such as mental confusion, hallucinations, crying spells, insomnia, agitation, anger, nervousness and suspiciousness.

It is not known exactly what leads to the condition, but scientists point out that postpartum psychosis, also known as puerperal psychosis, is more common in people with bipolar disorder.

Treatments for puerperal psychosis generally include hospitalization or hospitalization of the mother at home, because of the risks she may pose to herself and the child. As there is no preventive treatment, it is important to seek help if the mother experiences any of the symptoms, to prevent something worse from happening.

Symptoms, which usually begin during the first three weeks postpartum, include:

• Disconnection with the baby and people around;
• Disturbed sleep, even when the baby is sleeping;
• Confused and disorganized thinking;
• Extreme desire to harm/harm the baby, oneself or anyone;
• Drastic changes in mood and behavior;
• Hallucinations, which can be visual, auditory or olfactory;
• Delusional and unrealistic thoughts.

Source: Ministry of Health

Source: Redação Terra