Title: Delivery from Darkness – A Jewish Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Depression
Author: Rabbi Baruch Finkelstein, Michal Finkelstein, RN CNM, Doreen Winter, MSW
Publisher: Feldheim
As far as Jewish lifecycle events go, there is no doubt that childbirth is the ultimate simcha that a woman and her family can ever experience. For some women, however, the days, weeks and months following childbirth can be a personally painful and daunting time, as they fall victim to unyielding hormonal upheavals that result in “the baby blues,” postpartum depression and in some rare cases postpartum psychosis.
In Delivery Form Darkness, the Jerusalem-based authors, Rabbi Baruch Finkelstein and his wife Michal along with certified nurse-midwife and therapist, Doreen Winter, present a most sensitive yet pragmatic guide on the modalities of prevention and treatment of PPD.
Integrating both halachic and medical concepts, the authors make it abundantly clear that PPD and its related disorders are in no way reflective of a mother’s general mental state, nor does it serve as an ominous indication of her abilities to nurture her child, but rather they offer evidence that PPD needs to be cogently understood and addressed with concrete intervention.
The taboo surrounding this most enigmatic of ailments often causes families a great deal of shame and guilt. In the foreword to this book, psychiatrist and author Rabbi Avraham Twerski says, “Because the symptoms of postpartum depression are behavioral, many people think of them as being due to a mental abnormality. Given the stigma that this carries, the symptoms are often overlooked or explained away.”
The authors explain that while there are psychosocial components that make some women genetically pre-disposed to PPD, the major culprits are hormonal in nature that occur during pregnancy, along with both a thyroid and adrenal link as well. Family and communal support along with compassionate and educated health care professionals can make all the difference in the world in helping a woman and her family recognize that PPD is not an insurmountable obstacle on the highway to recovery.
Addressing the issues of turmoil and pain that husbands often experience as a result of their spouses’ PPD, this book allows them to tell their stories in their own words, giving a personal face to the potential tragedy that can result if PPD is left untreated.
With 80% of all new mothers experiencing the “baby blues” and 15-20 percent being beset with PPD, and one in a thousand women being diagnosed with postpartum psychosis, the authors sound a clarion call to the Orthodox Jewish world to reach out with urgency and alacrity to those suffering. Mothers often experience daily bouts of anger, irritability, melancholia, moodiness and feel terribly frightened, agitated and distraught. An intense fear of death, or going crazy and loss of control combined with suicidal ideations are also prevalent in some cases as the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness are all encompassing.
In some cases, medical treatments, such as the use of anti-depressants have proven effective along with therapy, but the authors don’t stop there. They courageously suggest holistic approaches, including traditional Chinese medicine, the use of herbs, vitamins and minerals as well as establishing a regime of the highest standards in nutrition and exercise.
Throughout this often arduous journey to recovery from PPD, we are consistently reminded by the authors that a woman’s connection to Hashem must be encouraged and bolstered, as the most conducive trajectory to complete healing lies within a healthy spiritual mindset.
Mothers are advised to “Talk to Hashem out loud. Find time every day to talk to Hashem as if you were talking to a friend. Hashem listens. Tell Hashem everything. Tell Him how you feel about yourself, your family, your relationship with Him. Tell Hashem about your day, your plans, your moods. Tell Hashem your deepest fears and desires. This will be an enlightening and rejuvenating experience.”
Consulting rabbinic and halachic authorities on such issues as choosing the right therapist are earnestly discussed, as well as sensitive issues such as the use of birth control.
