A truly fascinating window into how often postpartum psychosis is misdiagnosed. Aaisha Alvi is a postpartum psychosis awareness advocate. She volunteers with various maternal mental health organizations, including Postpartum Support International. Her memoir provides insights on what it is like to experience this severe mental health illness and why she needed to write about this. We are delighted to present this exclusive Q&A between Aaisha Alvi and the MWN Hub team. 

Most women who have recovered from postpartum psychosis do not always want to look back at that period of their life. What inspired you to write about this?

I can fully understand why most women who have recovered from postpartum psychosis (PPP) do not want to look back, especially considering that PPP is the most severe psychiatric illness that can afflict a woman in her lifetime. As I recovered from PPP, I began to look for stories from others who had experienced this same condition as me. Although, there were a lot of memoirs on postpartum depression, I couldn’t find anything on PPP - this was back in 2007. And so, when I complained about this to my psychiatrist, she off-handedly suggested that maybe, I should consider writing one, and that’s what got me started.

In A Mom Like That, I explore how it feels to experience PPP.  It also touches on how ill-informed healthcare providers are failing women with PPP.

How much research was involved and how did you approach it?

Initially, the first draft of A Mom Like That didn’t include any research. But then over the years, I started coming across other women’s accounts of having experienced PPP. I began to notice that most of the women who had this illness were able to get help quickly, either within 24 hours or a week of getting ill. It was at that point that I started exploring and researching the experiences of women of colour with postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) which is what the bulk of the research in my book is about.

When did you start writing your memoir?

 I wrote the first draft of A Mom Like That within three months of recovering from my second bout of PPP - so it was within a year of experiencing it. That’s why it was so easy for me to remember everything that happened. 

Did you experience any challenges while writing your memoir? If so, how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I experienced in writing, A Mom Like That, was learning how to craft it as a story. My initial drafts looked very different from what’s out now. That first draft consisted of very detailed descriptions of everything I experienced. In hindsight, I’m glad the first draft was like that because it captured everything that happened exactly how it happened. Unfortunately, that type of writing is not what people want to read or that gets accepted by publishers - people want a story. Between my first draft and what’s out now, there were approximately 10-15 revised drafts.

Interesting choice of title, ‘A mom like that’ – why did you choose those words and what significance does it hold for you?

I’ve had a lot of interest in the title so I’m happy to explain what that is about. It comes from a phrase I’ve heard expressed a lot, particularly from those struggling with postpartum issues themselves. Sometimes, as mothers shared how they were feeling or coping with motherhood, they would mention a story about a mom with a tragic outcome and say, “But, it’s not like I’m a mom like that.”

It’s typically said in a way that implies that moms who have had tragic outcomes are somehow different from themselves. As though “those” women were innately evil mothers. Ultimately, that’s why I chose to title my book A Mom Like That, I wanted readers to see that mothers who have had PPP are no different from themselves - that this severe psychiatric illness could happen to anyone and PPP tragedies can be prevented with increased awareness.

How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?

After I experienced PPP, despite my psychiatrist telling me over and over again that what I experienced was a true medical illness, I had huge doubts about whether what I experienced was also a testament to the type of person I was. 

Writing A Mom Like That, helped me to see that this truly is an illness that impacts women from all walks of life similarly. Writing it also made me realise how important it was to get that message out into the world. Also, since I began sharing excerpts from my book on social media, I have had several people reach out to me to share their stories of having been affected by PPP. That has been very moving and has further strengthened my resolve to spread awareness of this condition.  

What do you hope readers will take away from your memoir?

 I hope, A Mom Like That, humanises women who have suffered from this illness, which is often stigmatised. I also hope it creates greater awareness of this condition amongst both the public and healthcare providers.