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Fear and freedom

Posted: 14 April 2005 | Subscribe Online


It is hard not to be intrigued by the tale of a man who kills a mate and then fries and eats his brains. But, as he was a psychiatric patient at the time of the killing, “who let him out?” is the question that most people have been asking. It later turned out that Peter Bryan had killed before and had spent time in a secure hospital before his release back into the community.



The case of the “cannibal”, as Bryan has become known, has reignited the debate about care in the community for mental health patients. Few people can believe that professionals could have deemed him well – and safe – enough to be let out of hospital twice. The public wants to know just how safe care in the community can be if mistakes as grave as these still happen.


It hasn’t helped that the case of Bryan followed on the heels of another killing by a mental health patient. John Barrett, who like Bryan was a paranoid schizophrenic, stabbed a man to death after being allowed leave from a psychiatric hospital. He had also been violent before. Again the question has been asked: why didn’t the staff involved detect the risk he posed to society?

These two cases are not isolated examples of homicides by people with diagnosed mental health problems. Nine per cent of killers in England and Wales have been in contact with mental health services in the year preceding the offence, and almost a fifth have had contact at some point.( 1)


In the past 10 years there have been more than 150 independent inquiries into homicides carried out by psychiatric patients, and the findings seem strikingly familiar. The evidence often points to a catalogue of errors by the mental health services involved, usually due to poor communication, inadequate risk assessment or lack of face-to-face contact with service users.




One of the most well known inquiries followed the death of Jonathan Zito, who was stabbed to death in December 1992 while waiting for a London tube train. The report into the care of his schizophrenic killer, Christopher Clunis, revealed that three months before the attack Clunis had been discharged from psychiatric hospital into the community.

More than 10 years later, what is still going wrong?


Part of the problem is that many of the old institutions have been shut without enough replacement provision in the community, says Michael Howlett, director of the Zito Trust. The 150,000 beds that were available in the 1950s have now been reduced to fewer than 33,000 and the remaining psychiatric hospitals are buckling under the strain.


“You have to be pretty ill to get into hospital and there is a risk of being discharged before you are ready. This puts even greater pressure on community-based services,” says Howlett.


“We feel there are people in the community who shouldn’t be there. They should be back in hospital. They have been abandoned or forgotten or gone off the radar screen and not adequately followed up. Even if they were known about, it would be almost impossible to find them any hospital services, because they are overstretched.”


That mental health services are at crisis point is not in itself a revelation. For years the sector has been under-funded, and despite mental health being declared one of the government’s top three health priorities, funding has lagged behind other areas.


About one in three people who approach services are turned away. Without the help they need, their condition often deteriorates until they become seriously unwell.


A more preventive strategy is vital if care is to get better, says Tony Zigmond, vice-president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.


“You won’t prevent tragedies by targeting tragedies. If the aim is to reduce the number of homicides, general improvements in mental health services in the community and in hospitals will achieve this,” he says.


But while any homicide is one too many, it is important to keep a sensible perspective on the number carried out by psychiatric patients. Every year there are about 50,000 detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983, and most people are subsequently discharged back into the community.


“You are 10 times more likely to be killed by your employer than by someone with a mental illness,” says Zigmond. “There are 400 deaths due to corporate manslaughter every year and just 40 by the mentally ill.”


It’s just that when such homicides happen, they tend to reach the headlines. Staff find themselves pilloried for their mistakes which, with hindsight, seem avoidable. Surely this climate of fear must make staff reluctant to take risks?


Absolutely, says Zigmond. “That’s why the number of people detained has doubled in the past 20 years, though there’s not been a doubling in the amount with mental illness. People are being detained more readily and kept in.”


L earning how to assess the risk that a patient poses, either to themselves or to others, is a fundamental requirement for staff working in mental health services. However, that doesn’t mean training is always available or accessible. Even when it is, practitioners often find they cannot spare the time away from clinical duties.



Steve Morgan runs a practice development consultancy and trains people on risk assessment. In an attempt to tighten up their procedures and cover their backs, organisations are increasingly turning risk assessment into an administrative, form-filling exercise.


“The narrow focus on paperwork is a knee-jerk reaction to what is portrayed in the media. But making sure the paperwork is done distracts from the real assessment of risk in day-to-day work,” he says.


Morgan adds that the fear of getting things wrong – from organisations and practitioners – ultimately has a detrimental impact on service users.


“They say that when stories hit the headlines, trusts become more negative and restrictive. Practitioners are worried that if it happens to them they will be on the front page. A substantial number of people are not receiving the services they need and deserve because practice is being driven by a fear of things going wrong.”


If services are no longer of benefit to users, then the users stop coming to them. And if users stop accessing help when they need it, their mental health is likely to suffer and the risks increase.


The system may not be working as smoothly as it could, but are things set to change with new mental health legislation? Not if the draft mental health bill goes through parliament, assuming that it is revived in its current format in the next parliament.


“It could make the situation worse,” says Paul Farmer, chair of the Mental Health Alliance, a coalition of more than 60 mental health organisations campaigning on the proposed changes.


For a start, the way the bill is framed – particularly with its wide definition of mental disorder – could lead to more people being subject to its powers. Receiving help early reduces risks, but if an individual thinks they may be locked up, they will be reluctant to seek help.


In addition, the bill is seen to disproportionately emphasise the danger posed by people with mental health problems. Under the proposals, people who are considered dangerous, such as those with personality disorders, could be locked up indefinitely – despite evidence suggesting that between 2,000 and 5,000 people would need to be detained to prevent just one homicide.
Again, fear and society’s negative perceptions of mental illness, are likely to drive people away from the help they need.


The joint parliamentary scrutiny committee that analysed the bill has made it clear that public protection should not be allowed to dominate reform of mental health legislation.( 2) But in light of the outcry over the recent homicides, the government may not heed the warnings.


To this end, Farmer is concerned. “The danger is there will be a knee-jerk reaction on the back of these two cases, which are extremely rare if you look at the number of people with mental health problems who pose absolutely no risk. We have to frame the legislation to meet the needs of many.”


Exactly what shape the legislation will take remains to be seen. Up until now the government has remained determined to focus on public protection, despite calls for mental health legislation to be primarily concerned with patients. It is to be hoped that any amendments to the bill are written before anyone else is killed – otherwise one dreads to think what draconian measures they could contain.


(1) Five-Year Report of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Department of Health, 2001

(2) Report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill, 2005, from www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt/jtment.htm

'Good support means everything'

Martin Reynolds, 43, suffers from schizoaffective disorder. He has had three hospital admissions - an eight-month stint in 1995, three months in 1996, and a week in 1997. In between admissions he has lived in the community.

"In 1995 when I first came out of hospital, care in the community was terrible. I was dumped in a flat on the worst housing estate in the area and told to get on with it. It was not conducive to my mental health at all," he says.

During this time his home was broken into eight times and he was abused and threatened in the neighbourhood. As for care from mental health services, he had infrequent appointments with a psychiatrist and none with a social worker or community psychiatric nurse (CPN).

But he says that the NHS has improved in the past 10 years and he now has weekly visits from a CPN. At last he feels that he is receiving enough support. And what does it mean to him?

"Good support in the community means everything. I made a couple of suicide attempts in the past and it's possible that if I didn't have enough support self-harm might be an option again."

As for the recent hype around homicides by people with mental health problems, he thinks that the public could misunderstand.

"I wouldn't like people to get the impression that all people with a diagnosis are a risk to the public. I'm not a threat to anybody. I'm a very peaceful man.

"He thinks that the public - and the government - should heed the statistics showing the tiny percentage of people with mental health problems who commit crimes.

He adds: "I hope the government doesn't round them up and get them in hospital when there is no need for it."

The Serious organised crime and police act 2005

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A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.
SOCPA
News and reports on actions and repression related to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and the Parliamentary 'exclusion zone' in central London.
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA)
15-05-2007 00:00

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA) is a major piece of legislation, which established the Serious Organised Crime Agency, an FBI-like agency to tackle "serious organised crime", as it says on the box.
People-trafficking, drug wholesaling, violent armed robbery, torture, extortion and murder, is the kind of thing that might spring to mind. The bill, however, was used as an opportunity to deal with issues that might not be considered so serious. It introduced us to ASBO's, for example; outlawed animal activists' "interference with contractual arrangements" and, most pertinently, the right to protest in designated areas without prior permission.
Below is a comprehensive 'diary', put together by IMC UK activists, of events related to SOCPA since it came into force on 1 August, 2005.
Related Categories | SOCPA
Full article | 6 comments
Preserving disorder: freedom to protest and the future of SOCPA
16-11-2007 21:14

The Home Office has recently published a consultation paper which hints at what was really meant by Gordon Brown's promise to look again at the law which restricts demonstrations near parliament, far from repealing this legislation the consultation indicates that the government wants to extend the restrictions on demonstrations to cover the whole country.
The current law on demonstrations around parliament bans spontaneous protests, requiring demonstrators to seek advance police permission, which allows the police to impose arbitrary limits on numbers and effectively act as political censors. See a timeline of its effects.
A public meeting challenging the new proposal will be held at the London School of Economics on the 2nd December.
Links: SOCPA the movie | ASBOwatch | Repeal SOCPA | State of Emergency | schNEWS article | the Consultation Document | SOCPA topic page
Related Categories | SOCPA | Analysis | Repression
Full article
Confrontation with authorities in Parliament Square
17-10-2007 21:26

On 8th October, the day that the British Parliament resumed after its Summer recess, a thousands of anti-war protesters marched into Parliament Square. They were joined by people who demanded the basic freedom to be able to protest peacefully without prior police permission or conditions.
In the past demonstrators in London have been arrested, charged and fined or imprisoned simply for reading out a list of names or for carrying an innocuous banner, under the draconian SOCPA legislation brought in by Prime Minister Blair's government and carried on by his successor Brown. Since a raid on protesters' legitimate encampment in the Square by Mayor Livingstone's Greater London Authority (GLA) team on 17th August, a surrounding metal barrier has been erected which severely inhibits the ability to demonstrate there.
Timeline: [ 14.55 | 15.40 | 16.15 | 16.30 | 17.15 ]
Video: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
Pictures: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ]
Texts: [ Monopoly on Protest: Open Letter to CND and the Stop the War Coalition | What's wrong with Stop the War Campaign? | SOCPA - STWC 'ban' was bollocks ]
Related Categories | SOCPA | Anti-militarism | Iraq | London
Full article | 1 comment
Anti-war greeting for Tweedle Brown
27-06-2007 13:12

Gordon Brown is facing an anti-war welcome during his first week in power, with little sign that he will break with Blair's disastrous foreign policy. A War Is Still the Issue camp was set up in Parliament Square from Saturday 23rd [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Video ] (the fact that it was allowed may be a sign that SOCPA will be repealed? ... well, in fact probably not!). There was a demonstration outside Brown's Labour leadership coronation in Manchester on Saturday [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] and a Military Families Against War demonstration took place on his first day as Prime Minister on Wednesday [ Pics ] Later in the evening, a small group of activists braved the rain outside Blair's new Connaught Square home and made neighbours aware of their new resident [ Pics ].
Links: War is Still the issue | Voices in the Wilderness | Justice Not Vengeance | Stop the War Coalition | Military Families Against the War
Related Categories | SOCPA | Anti-militarism | Iraq | London | Manchester
Full article | 3 additions
Parliament Square Peace Campers in Court
29-05-2007 15:25

At least 12 activists have now been charged under SOCPA in connection with the No More Fallujahs Peace Camp and Naming the Dead actions in Parliament Square and Whitehall on 29-30 October 2006. Reports from the actions here.
In a planned act of civil disobedience against the occupation of Iraq, campaigners set up an unauthorised camp in Parliament Square for 24 hours last October. In all, over 100 people took part in workshops and discussions and held 'Naming the Dead' remembrance ceremonies in Parliament Square and Whitehall during the action.
Most of the defendants have been in court over the past two weeks, with the judgements to date illustrating the arbitrary nature of British "justice".
Read on...
Related Categories | SOCPA | Anti-militarism | Iraq | Repression | London
Full article | 1 comment
Mass lone demo breaks Guinness Book of Records
22-04-2007 19:37

"According to the Home Office there have been 1,379 demonstrations authorised under SOCPA in 18 months (1 Aug 2005 - Dec 2006). With your help we'd like to attempt to hold 2,000 demonstrations in a day!"
So reads the splurge on the Mark Thomas website. Today's efforts alone totalled 2294, breaking, according to Mark, the challenge set by records administrators.
Related Categories | SOCPA | London
Full article | 47 additions | 53 comments
Parliament Sq. Protest Trashed by Police
12-05-2006 11:57

Brian Haw's display was removed early in the morning of 23rd May by 50 police officers. At 2.45am they turned up and started to load a container with all the placards and banners and almost all of Brian's personal possessions. [Photos | Video]
A timeline since Monday 8th, when the state won its appeal against the decision that the SOCPA legislation could not be applied to the protest which Brian Haw .

knifes kill get real laws to deal with knife crime

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)

throw away your knifes not your lives

Scanning Britons for knife crime
By Susannah Cullinane
BBC News


Most people at the trial noticed cameras, not the metal detector
The proliferation of knives across the UK has police worried, with Scotland Yard warning it is one of the most serious problems officers face. Can metal detectors beat the problem?
He walks towards the silver poles, spots the police presence and makes a sharp U-turn. Officers, noticing his sudden change of heart, search him and find a knife.
The arrest that followed was one of the first made as trials of a metal detector at one of the UK's busiest bus stations begins.
With teachers calling for random weapons checks in schools and headlines warning of dangerous numbers of people - particularly the young - carrying knives, it is the latest initiative aimed at beating the problem.
The size of the task ahead was underlined on Thursday, when Metropolitan Police commissioner John Stevens said: "Gun crime has been reduced and people have moved over to knives.
"If people are carrying a knife for the wrong reasons then I think they should receive a mandatory sentence of two or even three years."
Operation Blunt
The metal detector trial is at Hammersmith in west London, which deals with tens of thousands of passengers each day.
It was chosen because it is used by people from all over London and is frequently attended by police called to deal with disorder incidents.


If it will protect one child I'm all for it

Martha Brett
If the trial is judged a success, the equipment could potentially be deployed in the rest of England and Wales.
Commander Simon Foy, head of the Scotland Yard anti-knife crime initiative Operation Blunt, said the extent of the problem was difficult to define.
"We're more conscious of them if there's a stabbing or knifepoint robbery, but there's a grey area for burglaries through to assaults where a knife was used to intimidate.
"A considerable amount of violent crime is knife-related."
Fine or caution
Under current laws, possessing a firearm carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence, but offenders could be jailed for up to 10 years.
In contrast, anyone caught carrying a knife without good reason faces a maximum sentence of four years.
If the blade is less than three inches long the punishment could be as little as a £50 fine or a caution.
Police are concerned about the number of people now arming themselves with knives.
They say that young people aged 12 to 20 are more likely to be both offenders and victims in knife crime cases.
Schools crackdown
Last month Education Secretary Charles Clarke said schools could be given powers to search pupils for weapons, under plans to tackle bad behaviour.

The police presence will put people off, but once they have gone away it will come back

Hammersmith commuter
After Luke Walmsley, 14, was murdered by a fellow pupil at a Lincolnshire school last year, Scotland Yard said hi-tech scanners would be offered to schools to help guard against knives.
An X-ray machine which can show weapons hidden under clothes is another of the tactics being used by police and officers have also been using hand-held metal detectors on suspects.
In Hammersmith, the installation of a metal detector seemed to appeal to many passengers.
Martha Brett, 55, from London, said they were a "fantastic" idea and that they should be at all stations, and possibly on public transport.
"Mostly for children - they seem to be carrying the knives, if it will protect one child I'm all for it."
She pointed out that a small, "but very sharp" Swiss Army knife on her keying had not set off the detector, but suggested it probably wasn't "prestigious" enough for children.
'High reading'
The metal detector is in fact set to a very high reading based on metal density, so it does not bleep at more innocent objects.
But police believe word has spread about the trial and fewer potential offenders were coming into the area where the detector was based.
"Some people being put off will be knife carrying," said Commander Foy, "there's the whole deterrent effect of this."

Commander Foy pointed to the deterrent effect of the trial
In terms of judging whether the trial was a success, Commander Foy points to the man who had been caught avoiding the detector.
He added: "The thing that will interest me most is what the officers say. Does this help officers do their job?"
Others are less convinced that the initiative will make a difference.
Another commuter was keen to keep the detector and officers battling crime in Hammersmith.
He said: "The police presence will put people off, but once they have gone away it will come back."

THE INDEPENDENTHELPLINE.BLOGSPOT.COM
COMMUNITY HELPLINE
Is knife crime really getting worse?
By Megan Lane & Brian Wheeler
BBC News Online Magazine



Concern about violent crime in Britain has swung back to knives and their availability to children. But has so-called "knife culture" risen while the media's attention has been so fixed on gun crime?
It's a shopping list likely to send a chill down the spine: kitchen knives, axes, razor sharp "cat skinners" and Ninja-style throwing knives.
Yet these and other potentially lethal weapons can be easily bought by children, according to a new national survey.
Almost half of shops tested broke the law by selling knives to children under 16, according to the Trading Standards Institute. And internet traders are even more of a push over because of the anonymity involved in buying something online.

Michael Howard, launching an anti-knife campaign in 1996
Sceptics, however, might comment that it has always been thus. There's nothing new about youngsters seeking to boost their street cred by carrying a blade.
It used to be the lore of the playground that flick knives - illegal in the UK - could be effortlessly picked up across the Channel (and so retained a status as the ultimate souvenir from a French exchange trip).
So are we really witnessing a rise in so-called "knife culture" or is the recent coverage afforded to the issue in newspapers just a spot of media hysteria?
Evidence shows knife seizures are on the increase. The number of people convicted of carrying a blade in public rose from 2,559 in 1995 to 3,570 in 2000, according to the Home Office.
Reports from hospital A&E departments indicate a rise in stab wounds, particularly among young men aged between 14 and 25.
Daily routine
One expert with street-level experience is convinced more young people are arming themselves with knives these days.

Everybody goes to the market and buys kitchen knives - they say they want to use them in the kitchen, but they don't

Youth club member, John
"We are seeing more and more stab wounds - even five years ago, these were pretty rare. Young males in particular are carrying knives on a daily basis, and if they carry them, they use them," says John Heyworth, of the British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine.
Those young men are often of school age, according to a survey by the Youth Justice Board this year. It found that of the crimes committed by young people, carrying a knife was the most common offence among children excluded from school (62%).
Undoubtedly, the problem is a predominantly urban one. Julie Jacobs, of the Streatham Youth Centre in south London, says some young people begin to carry knives from about the age of 11, when they first begin to venture out of their home patch.

A 'cyclone knife', bought online
"There is a sense that they need some sort of protection. It is a turf thing, a territory thing, but I don't think it is getting any worse."
So have youngsters themselves seen a rise in knife brandishing?
John, a 17-year-old at the Charter House Youth Club, in Southwark, London, believes the problem is "getting worse" although he does not know anyone who carries a knife.
He was once been threatened by three boys with kitchen knives, while on a bus.
"They were trying to jack me. They wanted my mobile phone and my money. There is nothing that can be done about people getting hold of knives. Everybody goes to the market and buys kitchen knives. They say they want to use them in the kitchen, but they don't."
Suspended from school
One 14-year-old from Peckham thinks there's a lot of bluster from kids trying to appear harder than they are.

Hidden in a comb - concealed blades are easily available
"I know people who brag about carrying knives. They say they have a great big butcher's knife. People say silly things."
He says a boy at his school was suspended after a knife was found in his bag. But generally, he says, the situation is getting better at his school.
"Maybe one day out of seven someone will say 'give me you money' or something, but I never have been threatened with a knife."
Of those that do brandish a blade, many justify it as in the interests of "self defence", says Unun Seshmi, who runs a charity called Boyhood to Manhood which is dedicated to steering young black people away from crime.
"They are walking around in fear of being stabbed. They feel there is nobody there to protect them. They don't want to go to the police. But they don't want to use the knife either."
________________________________________
Some of your comments on this story:
I carried knives while at school in the late 70s/early 80's. There was a need for protection in a school known for its violence. I still carry one today, every time I leave the house. I don't do this to intimidate people, and I've never used it - in fact I do my best to steer around trouble situations - but if caught in a dangerous situation I need to be able to protect myself, and I believe I have the right to.
Anon, Uk
In the late 1950s Mr Barnet-Janner, MP for Leicester, introduced a law against carrying offensive weapons during the Teddy Boy era. (Razors and knives were carried and used at that time by delinquents). The law was passed and rigorously enforced by the police. It was successful! So what happened?
Christopher J Wright, Spain
We still circle the problem - the penalties for carrying a knife should be severe as the only reason for doing so, whether or not in self-defence, is the intention of causing harm.
Phil K, UK
I think it would be a shame to see politically correct hysteria over knives. My father, a respectable and now retired gentleman, has carried a small pocket kife for many, many years, but as the blade is fraction over two inches long I believe he is guilty of carrying an offensive weapon.
Robert Jones, England

STAB VICTIMS URGE ACTION

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)

Stab victims' parents urge action

Jayne Walmsley's son, Luke, was stabbed to death at school
The families of stabbing victims are calling for a five-year minimum sentence for carrying a knife.
The petition, backed by the parents of Luke Walmsley and Damilola Taylor, was handed to 10 Downing Street on Monday.

Paul Walmsley, whose 14-year-old son was killed at school, said those caught with knives should "serve some form of term in youth custody or in a prison".

The families are backed by the Victims of Crime Trust, which says a child dies in a knife attack every two weeks.


It says there are three times as many fatal stabbings as gun deaths and penalties for carrying a knife should be the same as for carrying a gun.

The top penalty of two years' imprisonment doesn't send a strong enough message

John Denham
Home affairs select committee chairman


Death 'must not be in vain'
Knife crime: Have Your Say

The Knives Destroy Lives campaign is calling for a five-year minimum jail term for carrying a blade longer than three inches.

It wants a six-month minimum jail term for carrying a blade shorter than three inches, or three months in the case of juveniles.

Jayne Walmsley, whose son died last November, said the government had been too slow to tackle knife crime.

The parents of Damilola Taylor, who was 10 when he died in Peckham, London, in 2000, were not at the campaign launch.

But his father, Richard, earlier said that current knife laws have "no effect at all" and it was time for ministers to realise "enough was enough".

Supporters also included Michael Hegarty, whose brother Bernard was stabbed in east London in August, while on his lunch break.



My son was stabbed to death for his phone

Antoinette Rodney
Mother of Kieran Rodney-Davis


Victims' relatives tell of knife crime

"It's a mad world out there. Things do need to be addressed," said Mr Hegarty.

Antoinette Rodney, whose 15-year-old son Kieran Rodney-Davis was stabbed for his phone, said: "It's getting worse and we've got to do something about it. "

Home Secretary David Blunkett is meeting police on Wednesday to discuss ways of tackling knife crime.

He is considering raising the minimum age for buying a knife to 18.

Chairman of the home affairs select committee, John Denham, was reluctant to endorse a mandatory sentence, saying that courts needed to have some discretion.

However, he called for a higher maximum penalty as well as increased use of "restrictions on liberty", such as electronic tagging and curfews.

"The problem with knives... is that the top penalty of two years' imprisonment doesn't send a strong enough message and no one really gets it," he told Today.

"But secondly, other parts of the system are failing.

"We have too many schools, for example, who confiscate knives rather than routinely involving the police and making sure the carriers are charged."

postparum support

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)

Type International Support Network
Headquarters
Santa Barbara, California

Current President Susan Dowd Stone
Key people Jane Honikman, Founder
Website
http://www.postpartum.net/

Postpartum Support International (PSI) was founded in 1987 by Jane Honikman and currently headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA. The purpose of the organization is to increase awareness among public and professional communities about the emotional changes that women experience during pregnancy and postpartum.
The organization has a volunteer coordinator in every one of the United States and in over 26 countries. PSI disseminates information and resources through the volunteer coordinators, the website and an annual conference. The goal is to provide current information, resources, education, and to advocate for further research and legislation to support perinatal mental health.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 PSI Mission
• 2 Publications
• 3 Conferences
• 4 External links

[edit] PSI Mission
PSI is a non-profit organization whose mission is to eradicate the ignorance related to pregnancy related mood disorders and to advocate, educate, and provide support for maternal mental health in every community, worldwide.
[edit] Publications
PSI releases a newsletter called PSI News 4 times a year.
[edit] Conferences
PSI holds conferences in cities around the world. This years conference and past conferences include:
2007 - Kansas City, Missouri Supporting Families: Fostering Perinatal Emotional Health and Reducing Vulnerability
2006 - Jersey City, New Jersey Perinatal Mental Health Community Solutions, Interventions and Treatment Options
2005 - San Jose, California Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in Childbearing Women
2004 - Chicago, Illinois Engaging and Supporting Mothers, Partners/Families and Communities in Obtaining Care for Perinatal Mood Disorders: Focus on Fathers, Ethnicity, and Spirituality
2003 - New York City, New York Perinatal Mental Health: Communities Making A Difference; Providing for the Health and Safety of Families Worldwide
2002 - Santa Barbara, California Access to Perinatal Mental Health Care: Serving Underserved Populations through Culturally Appropriate Interventions
2001 - Santa Barbara, California PSI Social Support Networks; Bridging the Gap: Helping Mothers and Families
2000 - Santa Barbara, California PSI Board Retreat; Charting Our Future
1999 - University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. Canada Broadening Our Horizons; Working Together to blend the traditional and practical"
1998 - University of Iowa, Iowa City In Conjunction with the Biennial Marcé Society Conference
1997 - Las Vegas, Nevada Childbearing: Family Stress, Depression and Anxiety
1996 - London, UK In Conjunction with the Biennial Marcé Society Conference
1995 - High Point, North Carolina "Happily Ever After...Myth or Reality"
1994 - Toronto, Canada Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders: "Impact on the Family and Helping Families Heal"
1993 - Chicago, Illinois Postpartum Mental Health Issues; The Search for Models of Care
1992 - San Diego, California Working Together for Change
1991 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Answering The Call
1990 - St. Louis, Missouri Postpartum Depression
1989 - Seattle, Washington Recognition, Assessment, Research, Treatment & Legal Issues
1988 - Princeton, New Jersey Prediction, Recognition, Prevention, Treatment
1987 - Santa Barbara, California First Annual Postpartum Mental Health Conference
[edit] External links
• Postpartum Support International
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_Support_International"
Categories: International charities | Pregnancy

THE INDEPENDENT VICTIMS HELPLINE (UK)

Postpartum Support International - PSI
Organization URL(s)
psioffice@postpartum.net
www.postpartum.net
Other Contact Information
P.O. Box 60931
Santa Barbara, CA 93160
805-967-7636 (Voice)
805-967-0608 (FAX)
Description
Postpartum Support International (PSI) was formed June 26, 1987 to increase awareness in our communities about the emotional changes often experienced during pregnancy and after the arrival of the baby. Objectives of PSI are to meet and exchange information between members, encourage formation of new postpartum support groups, encourage health care professional participation, address legislative issues, encourage research, and collaboration with other related organizations; establish criteria for training; supervision and evaluation of volunteers; and address insurance coverage issues. The Mission is to promote international awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues to childbearing.
Online Resources
• A Brief Introduction to Postpartum Illness
http://www.postpartum.net/brief.html
• Postpartum Resources for Mom’s and Families
http://www.postpartum.net/resources.html

THE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY HELPLINE (UK)

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Welcome to the Online PPD Support Group

Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do, and having a mood disorder can make a hard job feel impossible. Many women experience some form of postpartum mood disorders. Having a mental illness is not a measure of your worth, social status, race or religion. Getting treatment is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength and bravery. Mental health in many societies is still often surrounded by misinformation and stigma.

Just as a diabetic has a problem with how her pancreas functions, so does a person with a mental disorder have a problem with how her brain functions. Hormones, genetics and brain chemistry all play a huge role in the onset of mood disorders. Environmental factors and personal experiences also impact an individual's mental health. Some people with mental health issues are able to function by monitoring their lifestyles alone (eating healthfully, staying hydrated, getting adequate rest and exercise, etc.), while others may require medication and talk therapy in addition to some modifications in how they live. This is similar to our diabetic example above in that some diabetics can manage their illness by altering their lifestyles alone while others require insulin injections in addition to changes in their day to day lives.

If you feel that you may be suffering from a postpartum mood disorder, please contact your doctor. Many women find it frightening to seek treatment, or feel a sense of shame at needing help. Remember that the brain is an organ in the body, just like any other part of your body. Understand that there is no more shame in seeking treatment for a brain disorder than there is when seeking treatment for any other ailment.

We hope the information gathered here will serve as a resource for you.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are in need of immediate help, please contact 1-800-SUICIDE
The National Hopeline Network serves as a wonderful "springboard" for finding help in your area. By calling their toll-free number, you will be routed to live support. The website also aids you in finding services in your area in non-crisis times.

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Added May 2005: Excerpt from Down Came The Rain, actress Brooke Shields' personal story of postpartum depression. Click HERE to read more.
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Shared joy is double joy. Shared sorrow is half sorrow.

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THE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY HELPLINE (UK)

Postpartum Mood Disorder Support Groups in the U.S.
Postpartum Support Groups Around the U.S.

(Note: compiled by Postpartum Progress, updated as of 8/22/07; if you call and the group no longer exists, or you are aware of a new group that is not on the list, please email me at stonecallis@msn.com)

ARIZONA

Chandler -- PPD Support Group, Wednesdays from 1pm to 2:30pm, contact Ann Marie Casey at 480-728-5617

Flagstaff -- Postpartum Adjustment Support Group, Mondays from 11:30am to 1pm, contact Christina Hibbert at 928-774-7997

Sierra Vista -- Postpartum Support Group of Sierra Vista, Wednesdays at 6pm, contact Amy at 439-9043 or email sierravistapostpartum@yahoo.com

Tucson -- Mother to Mother PPD Support Group at Northwest Medical Center, meets Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30am, contact Alison at 520-877-4149

Tucson -- Postpartum Adjustment Support Group at St. Joseph's Hospital, meets Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30pm, contact Carole Sheehan or Terry Scallon at 520-873-6858 or 520-218-7404

CALIFORNIA

Berkeley -- North Berkeley Postpartum Stress Support Group, Saturday mornings bimonthly, contact Lee Safran at 510-496-6096

Chula Vista -- Spanish speaking PPD Support Group, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month from 5:30 to 7pm, contact Scripps Mercy Chula Vista Well Being Center at 619-691-7273 or 1-800-SCRIPPS

Clairemont -- PPD Support Group at North Clairemont Rec Center, Tuesdays from 7 to 8pm, contact Gretchen Pound at 858-663-7285

Kensington -- Mothers Supporting Mothers PPD Support Group, meets Tuesdays from 12 to 1:30pm, contact Mary Obata at 619-220-4680

La Jolla -- PPD Support Group at Scripps Memorial Hospital, meets Thursdays from 2:30 to 4pm, call 1-800-SCRIPPS

La Mesa -- PPD Support Group at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, meets Thursdays from 3 to 4:30pm, contact 619-740-4906

Los Gatos -- PPD Support Group at Community Hospital, Fridays from 9:30am to 11:30am, contact Sharon Storton at 408-370-7311

Mission Viejo -- Postpartum Adjustment Support Group at Mission Viejo Hospital, meets Tuesdays from 10am to 11am, contact Sue Harrison at 949-365-3818 or email harrison@stjoe.org

Oakland -- Alta Bates Summit Postpartum Stress Support Group, Tuesday mornings, contact Lee Safran at 510-496-6096

Pacific Grove -- Postpartum Wellness Support Group at Parent's Place, meets 2nd Thursdays of each month from 10am to 11:30am, contact Meg Grundy at 831-601-7021 or email meggrundy@yahoo.com

Redwood City -- PPD Support Group, contact 408-718-2112

San Francisco -- Newborn Connections PPD Support Group at California Pacific Medical Center, contact 415-600-2229

San Jose -- PPD Support Group at Good Samaritan Hospital, Wednesdays from 9am to 11am, contact Sharon Storton at 408-370-7311

Santa Cruz -- PPD Support Group at Sutter Maternity Hospital, meets Mondays from 10am to noon, contact Kate Bell at 831-475-2494 or email justkateb@comcast.net

Serra Mesa -- PPD Support Group at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital, meets Tuesdays from 10 to 11:30am, contact 858-939-4141

Sorrento Mesa -- PPD Support Group, contact 858-442-2421

Tarzana -- PPD Support Group at the Center for Postpartum Health, contact Diana Lynn Barnes at 818-887-1312

COLORADO

Boulder -- PPD Support Group, contact Mary Jo Manydeeds at 303-817-9843

Denver -- Kempe PPD Support Group, contact 303-864-5845

DELAWARE

Newark, Wilmington & Dover -- MOMs HEAL: Perinatal Mood Disorder Support Groups, contact 302-733-422g x302 or email mo'hara@christiancare.org

Wilmington -- The Birth Center PPD Support Group, contact Rebecca at 302-294-2365

FLORIDA

Coral Springs (Broward Co.) -- Center for Postpartum Adjustment PPD Support Group, contact Ilyene Barsky at 954-752-0460 or email ppdsupport@aol.com

Jacksonville -- Mothercare Postpartum Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays from 9:30am to 10:30am, contact Sarah Daniel at 904-610-1441 or Beth Wombough at 904-305-2116

GEORGIA

Athens -- PACE PPD Support Group, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 7pm, contact Lauren Hale at 678-661-0016

Atlanta -- Southside Atlanta Postpartum Support Group, 2nd and 4th Mondays from 10am to 11am in Peachtree City, contact Katherine Stone at 1-866-944-GPSN or email stonecallis@msn.com

HAWAII

Oahu -- PPD Support Group, Monday evenings, contact Diane at 808-392-7985

ILLINOIS

Aurora -- PPD Support Group at Rush-Copley Healthplex, contact 866-426-7539

Chicago -- PPD Support Group at Mercy Hospital, meets 1st Thursday of each month, contact 312-567-5420

Downers Grove -- PPD Support Group at Good Samaritan Hospital, Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3pm, contact Catherine Phillips at 630-208-3871

Elk Grove -- Alexian Brothers Medical Center PPD Support Group, contact Leslie Lowell Stoutenburg at 847-981-3594 or Susan Adler at 847-956-5142

Geneva -- PPD Support Group at Delnor Community Hospital, meets Tuesdays from 10am to 11:30am, contact 630-232-1070

Highland Park -- PPD Support Group, contact 847-831-7731

Joliet -- PPD Support Group, contact Provena Health Connection at 815-725-9438

Oak Park -- PPD Support Group at Parenthesis Parent Child Center, contact Mary Strizak at 708-848-2227 or email mstrizak@parenthesis-info.org

Peoria -- PPD Support Group, contact Irma Robbins at 309-683-6617 or email irma.robbins@osfhealthcare.org

Springfield -- "Out of the Blue" PPD Support Group at St. John's Hospital, meets 2nd Wednesdays from 5 to 6pm, contact Barbara Maley at 217-535-3696 or email barb.maley@st-johns.org

Winfield -- Central DuPage Hospital PPD Support Group, meets Mondays from 7pm to 8:30pm, contact Sophia Bowerman at 630-933-1964

INDIANA

Online Support Group -- hosted by Sara Pollard every Wednesday evening from 6 to 8pm at www.indianaperinatal.org/chat.aspx

Bloomington -- Bloomington Area Birth Services PPD Support, contat 812-337-8121

Elkhart -- Elkhart General Hospital PPD Support Group, contact Michaela Nufer at 574-294-2621, x 5610

Ft. Wayne -- Lutheran Hospital PPD Support Group, contact JK Wagner at 260-435-7069

Hobart -- Postpartum Peer Support Group of NW Indiana, meets at 11am every other Friday, contact Sarah at 219-947-9646

Indianapolis -- Clarian Health PPD Support Group, contact Birdie Meyer at 317-962-8191

Indianapolis -- Community Health Network PPD Support Group, contact Marcia Boring at 317-621-7828 or email mboring@ecommunity.com

Indianapolis -- St. Vincent's Hospital PPD Support Group, contact Lisa Hill at 317-415-7676

South Bend -- South Bend Memorial Hospital PPD Support Group, contact Karen Sandock at 574-647-7511 or email ksandock@memorialsb.org

South Bend -- PPD Support Group at Children's Center Counseling & Development Services, contact 574-232-2255

KANSAS

Overland Park -- PPD Support Group, meets Tuesday evenings, contact the Postpartum Resource Center of Kansas at 913-677-1300

South Jackson County -- PPD Support Group, meets Monday evenings, contact 913-677-1300

Topeka -- "Finding the Joy" PPD Support Group, meets 1st and 3rd Mondays from 6:30 to 8pm, contact Denise Mead at 785-266-8347

KENTUCKY

Frankfort, Lexington & Lawrenceburg -- online support group at http://postpartumfriend.tripod.com

MAINE

Biddeford -- Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Group at Southern Maine Medical Center, contact Lauren at 207-283-7143 or Cheryl or Kathy at 207-283-7350

Brunswick -- New Moms Support Group at Mid Coast Hospital, contact 373-6500

Portland -- Postpartum Adjustment Support Group at Back Cove Midwives Office, meets Thursdays from 10:30 - 11:30am, contact 829-6181 or email Linda Boardman at linda@coyotees.com

MARYLAND

Annapolis -- Anne Arundel Medical Center PPD Support Group, meets once monthly, contact Ali Tiedke at 443-481-6130 or email atiedke@aahs.org

Baltimore -- Sinai Hospital PPD Support Group, meets 2nd Thursday of each month, contact Lisa Kelly at 410-601-9057

Baltimore -- Greater Baltimore Medical Center, meets 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month, contact 443-849-6262 and leave a message for DeeDee Frank

MASSACHUSETTS

Concord -- PPD Support Group, held monthly, contact Ellen Weisstein at 978-287-0221

Plymouth -- Jordan Hospital Postpartum Support Group, contact Gerri Piatelli at 781-837-4242 or call 508-830-2929

Northampton -- Motherwoman's Postpartum Stress Support Group, meets Tuesdays from 10:15am to 12:15am, contact 413-253-8990

West Newton -- "This Isn't What I Expected" PPD Support Group, meets Mondays from 10am to 11:30am, contact 781-693-5652 or email staylor@jfcsboston.org

MICHIGAN

Ada -- Life After Baby Posptartum Support Group, meets 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays each month from 7 to 9pm, contact Jenna Scott at lifeafterbaby@gmail.com

Ann Arbor -- Greater Ann Arbor Postpartum Depression Support Group, meets 1st and 3rd Mondays from 10:30am to noon, contact 734-418-2683

Bay City -- Depression After Delivery Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month, contact Sherry LaMere or Kelli Wilkinson at 989-895-2240

Clawson -- Tree of Hope/Beaumont PPD Support Group, meets Tuesdays from 10am to 11:30am, contact 248-551-1462

Grand Rapids -- Spectrum Health PPD Support Group, contact Nancy Roberts at 616-391-1771 or 616-391-5000

St. Clair Shores -- Tree of Hope/Beaumont PPD Support Group at St. Joan of Arc Parish Center, meets Thursdays from 7 to 8pm, contact 586-777-3670

MINNESOTA

West St. Paul -- PPD Support Group at Dakota Co. Northern Service Center, held Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3pm, contact Jennifer Johnson at 612-853-4770

MISSOURI

Creve Coeur -- St. Louis Mother to Mother PPD Support Group at Women's Healthcare Partnership, contact 314-991-5666, ext. 4

MONTANA

Missoula -- PPD Support Group, meets 4th Monday of each month at 10:30am, contact Lara Mattson Radle at 406-370-7747 or email laborandlove@bresnan.net

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Concord -- PPD Support Group, meets Tuesdays from 10:30am to noon, contact Mary Sue Tuur at 603-224-1381

NEW JERSEY

Rocky Hill -- Princeton Postpartum Support Group, contact Joyce Venis at 609-683-1000

Voorhees -- TLC for Moms PPD Support Group, meets Thursday mornings and 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings at Virtua Hospital, contact 1-866-380-2229

NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe -- Postpartum Mother's Support Group, meets 11am to noon, contact 982-9375

NEW YORK

Circle of Caring PPD Support Groups in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester Counties, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and the Capital Region, contact the Postpartum Resource Center of New York at 631-422-2255

Brooklyn -- PPD Support Group, contact www.brooklynppdsupport.org or Molly Peryer at 917-549-6012 or email molly@peryer.org

Manhattan (Upper East) -- PPD Support Group, meets Mondays from 1 to 2:30pm, contact Anne Smith at 212-289-7335 or email mumpers1@aol.com

Westchester -- PPD Support Group, contact Joan Jacobus at 914-419-5806

Williamsville -- PPD Support Group at Millard Filmore Suburban Hospital, meets 2nd Thursdays of each month from 7 to 8pm, contact Nancy Owen at 716-568-3628 or email nowen@kaleidahealth.org

NORTH CAROLINA

Cary/Raleigh -- "Moms Support Moms' PPD Support Group, held twice a month, contact Anne Wimer at 919-434-5986 or email awimer@nc.rr.com

Cornelius -- PPD Support Group, contact Carol Peindl at 704-947-8115

Durham -- Duke Postpartum Support Group, meets twice weekly, contact William Meyer at 919-681-6840 or email william.meyer@duke.edu

Greensboro -- Feelings After Birth PPD Support Group, contact Nadine Tamborino at 336-832-6682 or email tamborino@mosescone.com

Greenville -- Hopeful Beginnings PPD Support Group, call 252-847-8263 or email tamborino@mosescone.com

OHIO

Columbus -- Sisters of Motherhood PPD Support Group, meets the last Monday of each month at 7pm, contact 614-315-8989

Youngstown -- PPD Support Group, meets 1st and 34rd Thursdays each month, contact Jodi at 330-207-1385

OKLAHOMA

Tulsa -- PPD Support Group at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, meets 1st Mondays each month from 7 to 8:30pm, contact Anita Campbell at 918-865-2824 or Eva Marie Campbell at 918-699-0120

OREGON

Corvallis -- Postpartum Mood Support Group, meets Tuesdays at noon, contact Debra Carriere at 541-754-0070 or email perinatalmoodsupport@gmail.com

Eugene -- PPD & Anxiety Support Group, meets Tuesdays at 4:30pm, contact 541-231-4343

Portland -- Baby Blues Connection PPD Support Group, contact 503-797-2843 or email info@babybluesconnection.org

PENNSYLVANIA

Lancaster Co. -- PPD Support Group, contact 717-397-7461 or email heathers24@aol.com

Philadelphia -- The Postpartum Stress Center PPD Support Group, contact Karen Kleiman at 610-525-7527

Phoenixville -- Postpartum Adjustment Support Group, meets 4th Wednesdays of each month from 6:30pm to 8pm, contact 610-983-1288

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston -- Charleston PPD Support Group, meets 1st and 3rd Thursdays from 7 to 8:30pm, contact Helena at 843-881-2047 or email buzerhel@aol.com

Columbia -- PPD Support Group, meets 1st Thursday of each month from 11:30 to 1:30pm, contact Virginia at 803-296-3715 or email williams@palmettohealth.org

Florence -- PPD Support Group at Florence Christian Church, held 1st Saturday of each month, contact Brenda Cooper at 843-600-1318 or email scdoulasforlifeinc@yahoo.com

Greenville -- PPD Support Group, contact Susan at 864-419-3289 or email careformom@aol.com

TENNESSEE

Memphis -- PPD Support Group at Lakeside Cresthaven Center, held Tuesdays from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, contact 901-377-4794

TEXAS

Austin -- Family Connections PPD Support Group, meets Thursdays from 10am to 11:30am, contact Kelly Boyd at 512-733-5224 or email drkelly@austin.rr.com

Ft. Worth -- PPD Support Group, meets Tuesdays from 6pm to 7:30pm, contact Lisa D'Amura at 817-296-9418 or email lisaag02@yahoo.com

Houston -- The Women's Hospital of Texas PPD Support Group, meets Fridays from 10am to 11:30am, contact 713-506-2522

Houston -- Beyond Birth Postpartum Adjustment Support Group, meets Saturdays from 4:30pm to 5:30pm, contact Peta-Gay Rhinehart at 713-254-4140 or email petarhinehart@sbcglobal.net

Houston -- Loving Infant Care Motherhood Center PPD Support Group, contact 713-963-8880

San Antonio -- Methodist Women's Center PPD Support Group, contact 210-575-0355

UTAH

Salt Lake -- PPD Support Group at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, meets Wednesdays from 7:30pm to 9pm, contact daveanddebshea@comcast.net

VIRGINIA

Arlington -- PPD Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, contact Adrienne Griffen at 703-243-2904 or email griffens@comcast.net

Fairfax -- Beyond PPD, meets 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings of each month, contact Benta Sims at 703-536-9469 or email j-bsims@comcast.net

Loudon Co. -- Loudon Hospital PPD Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, contact Natalie Griffin at 703-858-8941 or email ndgriffin@verizon.net

Roanoke -- Postpartum Stress Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 7pm to 8:30pm, contact Andy Matzner at 540-819-0429 or Sandra Cothran at oval1954@cox.net

WASHINGTON, DC (also see Virginia)

DC -- PPD Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9pm, contact Sarah Masterson at 202-352-8527 or email smasterson@perinatalproject.com

WASHINGTON

Bainbridge -- PPD Support Group for Kitsap County, held the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 12:30 to 1:30pm at Grace Church, contact 206-755-6066

Bellevue -- "Beyond the Baby Blues" PPD Support Group at Eastgate Public Health Dept., held 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from noon to 1pm, Spanish speaking group held on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from noon to 1pm, contact Veronique Burke at 425-453-7890 ext 268 or Sylvia Kurin at 425-453-7890 ext. 375

Everett -- "Beyond the Birth" PPD Support Group at Providence Hospital, held 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month from 6:30 to 8pm, contact Juliana Nason-Ashe at 206-604-0996 or email juliana@chrysalis-counseling.com

Kirkland -- "This Isn't What I Expected" PPD Support Group at Evergreen Hospital, held 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 7pm. contact 425-899-1000

Longview -- PPD Support Group for Cowlitz County, contact Lisa Loeb at the Family Health Center at 360-423-7740, ext 109

Moses Lake -- The Mommy's Club Support Group at Crossroads Resource Center, meets 2nd Tuesday of each month from 1:30pm to 3pm, contact Christy Youngers at 509-765-4425

Port Angeles -- PPMD Support Group for Clallum County, 10-week support groups, contact First Step Family Support Center at 360-457-8355

Puyallup -- "This Isn't What I Expected" PPD Support Group at the Puyallup Library, held the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 11:30am to 12:30pm, contact Christy Christian at 253-370-7970

Seattle -- Understanding the Moods of Motherhood Group at Swedish Hospital, held Mondays from 4pm to 5:30pm, contact 206-386-3321

Sunnyside -- PPD Support Group for Yakima County at Sunnyside Community Hospital, contact Sandra Linde at 509-837-1313

Tumwater -- PPD Support Group for Thurston County at Tumwater Timberland Library, held every Wednesday from 11:30am to 12:30pm, contact 360-349-2346

Vancouver -- Baby Blues Connection PPD Support Group, contact 360-735-5571

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Featuring mothers who have survived devastating postpartum mood disorders & become "Surviving & Thriving" mothers. It is important for women who go through these terrible illnesses to see that they can will someday be happy & healthy. These photos are a testament to that! If you would like to add your photo & be an inspiration to other new moms, email me at stonecallis@msn.com.Pages
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Brooke Shields: Down Came The Rain
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