I’m so excited!
WomanAlive is a Christian Woman’s magazine published in England, equivalent to Today’s Christian Woman here in the United States. Back in the fall, my name was given to Joanne Appleton by Kim at Parenting After Infertility for an interview and Ms. Appleton subsequently did an interview and wrote my story for WomanAlive about my journey through PPD. Well, in the mail today I received the February issue of WomanAlive and there on page 22 is the story and it is AMAZING. Ms. Appleton did an amazing job and I hope everyone will be able to see it! I’m hoping it may be accessible online at some point. The website for the magazine itself is www.womanalive.co.uk.
Praise God for the word getting out! Although it was a bit disconcerting to see a full page picture of myself when I opened, I got used to it and am SO excited about the entire article. Ms. Appleton is very talented and it was a pleasure working with her! Thank you, Joanne!
Media, Ministry News
Ok, so I’m a bit embarrassed to be writing this now since the DVD was released in September, however, perhaps it is good because it serves to remind everyone that it is available, right? Sick kids, traveling, you know how it goes… *blush*
Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder of Mental Health Ministries was so gracious to send me a copy of this fabulous DVD to review and use and I’m so pleased to be able to recommend it. It has been such a labor of love for her. Churches are the first to celebrate the birth of a new baby, but all too often once the baby is born, the parents are left to fend for themselves then moms going through difficult times are forgotten or encouraged to just be happy because of the blessing they hold in their arms. Its just not that easy! At the same time, churches are the first places that moms of faith turn to in their time of need because their faith is challenged. PPD is very much a real illness, it affects us not only mentally, but also physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and it would benefit the church and the moms they minister to be educated about PPD and how to help those new moms.
Let me share with you the press release for the Breaking the Silence: Postpartum Depression and Families of Faith. Please continue to check back as I share more about this great resource. I can already tell you that from what I have watched, I have been impressed with the message of hope and encouragement that it conveys.
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Mental Health Ministries e-Spotlight
NEW RESOURCE
Breaking the Silence: Postpartum Depression
and Families of Faith
As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you.
Isaiah 66:13 (NRSV)
ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
The birth of a baby is a time of great joy. But women can also find themselves feeling overwhelmed. They may even have negative feelings toward their child that can make them feel confused and guilty. Many new mothers are ashamed to admit these feelings and think they are a “bad mother” for haivng such thoughts. And so they suffer in silence.
Breaking the Silence: Postpartum Depression and Families of Faith is an ecumenitcal resource to educate faith communities about postpartum depression. Background information on symptoms and treatment is provided by mental health professionals. Two women share their personal stories and how this experience affected their faith and recovery.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THIS RESOURCE
The DVD is divided into segments to give group leaders the option of viewing individual segments or the entire resource. A discussion guide is included on the DVD to provide information about postpartum depression, study questions and helpful resources.
DVD SEGMENTS
Introduction (3:55 minutes)
What is Postpartum Depression? (7:32 minutes)
Diana’s Story (11:24 minutes)
Toni’s Story (13:06 minutes)
How Faith Communities Can Respond (7:59 minutes)
Run time of resource: 43:56 minutes
This DVD resource is $24.95 and is available for purchase on the Mental Health Ministries website, in the DVD resources section. Shipping and handling is $4.00. It can be ordered by credit card online or send a check made out to “Mental Health Ministries” to Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, Coordinator of Mental Health Ministries, 6707 Monte Verde Dr., San Diego, CA 92119. Visit the website for a downloadable brochure on postpartum depression. |
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I’m SO incredibly excited to tell you all about this DVD that will be coming out soon! It is called Breaking the Silence: Postpartum Depression and Families of Faith and is produced by Mental Health Ministries. So often, we have the impression that the birth of the baby is all about the baby, but the moms really need to cared for and who better than our own churches? It is so important for churches to be educated about postpartum mood disorders so that they can effectively minister to their members. Often, a church is the first place a woman will turn when she realizes something is not right. From personal experience, it was my own church to whom I turned and who helped me get through those dark days of my life.
This DVD will contain background information on these mood disorders provided by mental health professionals, as well as two interviews with ladies who have dealt with postpartum depression. They will discuss how their experience affected their faith and recovery. The DVD will also come with a study guide designed to provide information, promote discussion, and also give a list of resources and other ministries to contact for further information – including Out of the Valley Ministries! Very exciting… I have been privileged to get a sneak peak at the cover and study guide and I must say that I am impressed. I think it is very well put-together thus far and I’m very much looking forward to viewing the video!
I will let you all know when this DVD will be available for purchase. Please starting praying now for the communities this will reach and please consider purchasing this video for your own church’s library! Certainly, with producing any kind of informational video, there are costs involved. If anyone feels so led to contribute to this worthy cause, please contact Mental Health Ministries for more information on how to do that.
I’ve been so blessed communicating via email with Susan Gregg-Schroeder of Mental Health Ministries about this. Head on over to her website and take a look. They provide a wealth of resources and information on how the church can support those with mental illnesses and erase the stigma that so often comes with them.
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Hello, everyone! I wanted to let you all know about a wonderful article featured in the May/June 2007 issue of Mothering magazine written by Sarah R. Fields about her experience with postpartum psychosis after the birth of her second child. The tagline on the cover of the magazine reads “Victory Over Postpartum Psychosis” and indeed, this is an amazing story about Sarah’s victory over this illness. Because this magazine is about Natural Family Living, this article is written from that perspective. For those of you seeking out information regarding natural and alternative treatments, this is a great resource. As always, I have to recommend that you seek the advice of your physician first for treatment of any postpartum mood disorder. In the event of postpartum psychosis, this is considered a medical emergency and you should have someone take you to the nearest Emergency Room immediately.
Sarah’s story is very vivid and raw, and it brought tears to my eyes as I read it. But what struck me was the ultimate victory that she had over this illness. Seeing the beautiful pictures of her and her family really gave me a feeling of hope. There is ALWAYS help and hope in any situation. In an ultimate story of victory, Sarah is now expecting her third child. Please keep her in your prayers! Sarah leads a postpartum depression peer support group in Northwest Indiana. You can find information about her group meetings here.
Sarah – thank you so much for sharing such a painful story with the world! You have a brave and courageous heart and I know that so many who have gone through any postpartum mood disorder will be so blessed by reading about your experience. We are praying for you!
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