So, I've been reading

I’m reading The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman, who experienced postpartum depression/psychosis after birth. Apparently, the doctors back then were so uneducated that they didn’t understand why women were developing mental health symptoms. So they basically locked “hysterical” women in a cell and promoted the rest cure. In the story, the narrator who got locked in the room to “rest” ended up getting worse and developed acute psychosis.

The first thing we learn from this story is that isolation cannot be good in some cases. If you can’t get out of bed, open a window and get some fresh air. Call a friend, and don’t give up. Second thing is, women around the world deserve equal rights, and women deserve to be treated well. In the story, women are treated terribly (as it was back then in the 19th century). Sexism is real and still we don’t have equal rights for all genders/identities. So, love yourself and don’t listen to others who don’t think you’re valuable- because you’re valuable.

So literature does teach us something at least. If you want to read over that story, the story is available online. And if you do get a chance, get some fresh air or call a friend. Also reach out for help. You deserve it.

4 Likes

I read the book psychotic mum, about a post Partum psychosis by Brenda Froyen. It’s about a recent real life story in Belgium.
.

2 Likes

I read that story a long time ago. It was engaging. Basically, the whole field of medicine not too long before that was not much better than superstition. They used to bleed people as a cure for most conditions. I don’t know how anyone could be that stupid.

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.