GENERAL HOSPITAL brought in an expert to help guide Robin’s postpartum depression storyline. Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA, CLC, is president of Postpartum Support International. In addition to consulting for GH, she also advised the producers of GREY’S ANATOMY on PPD. In this first installment of a detailed interview, Meyer clears up some the myths and misconceptions about PPD.
Soap Opera Weekly: What was your reaction when you were approached by the soap for input?
Birdie Gunyon Meyer: My biggest thing is that we don’t do every single show on postpartum psychosis. Most of the world thinks, when you hear postpartum depression, it comes down to the kids. Nobody knows what’s going on, because we only have this picture of either a mom crying all the time or a mother who wants to kill her children. My big thing was, if you’re going to do this, please stick with facts about postpartum depression/anxiety. Please promise me you won’t do psychosis; promise me you’re not going to have her kill her baby. We’ve had enough of that in the news.
Weekly: Is psychosis rare?
Meyer: Psychosis affects one in 1,000 women, whereas postpartum depression/anxiety attacks one in seven women.
Weekly: Why did you feel the need to get involved with a soap?
Meyer: Women who have postpartum depression are watching these shows, calling me up and asking why they are doing that, when it’s not accurate? We’ve got a lot of smart women watching GENERAL HOSPITAL, saying, “Nuh-uh, that ain’t postpartum depression.” [GH aired] this great PSA on April 16.
Weekly: But GH is, first and foremost, an entertainment program.
Meyer: Right, there’s that fine line. I have to hold myself back; it’s a soap opera. It’s entertainment, and we want it to be a little dramatic and, “Oh, my gosh,” on-the-edge-of-your-seat-type of thing sometimes — but not over the edge of “Oh, c’mon!”
Weekly: For example…?
Meyer: The recent thing the fans were upset about was when Dr. Robin Scorpio ended up in a motel room with a carpenter [Brad] and basically made out with him. I got a bunch of angry e-mails after that. Every woman with postpartum depression and anxiety knows the last thing you’re thinking about is making out with someone! She doesn’t even want to have sex with her husband. She is tired, she’s exhausted, she has a low libido. That is so unrealistic for a woman. More upsetting was when Patrick went back and talked to Liz, and Liz said, “Oh, yeah, that’s really common for someone with postpartum to have more affairs.” That’s not factual! [GH] has been really good about listening up and listening to fans. You can’t put that over on women.
Weekly: What are some of the other misconceptions you could clear up for our readers?
Meyer: Misconception No. 1: that postpartum depression is only psychosis — only wanting to kill your baby. That postpartum depression is a weakness; that if you just think happy thoughts, you wouldn’t get this. That postpartum depression is nothing but crying all the time. It gets mixed up with the blues, and it’s depression. A majority of women have depression and anxiety mixed together, and/or only anxiety, so they’re like, “I’m not crying, I’m just jumping out of my skin. I feel like I’ve had 40 cups of coffee. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat.” Brooke Shields told the story of her anxiety. That’s what really hurts you, what really draws you into depression — because you’re anxious all the time.
Weekly: Does it always happen immediately?
Meyer: Here’s a myth: It only happens in the postpartum period. Pregnant women can also get depression and anxiety. Statistics show that 10 percent to 22 percent of women get depression or anxiety in pregnancy or postpartum, and we totally ignore pregnant women, thinking that pregnancy is only a happy/glowing time. We ignore them, then they ignore themselves, and they wake up in the morning, thinking, “If I can make it through this pregnancy, I’ll be fine afterward.”
Weekly: Are there warning signs to look for?
Meyer: Just [a woman] not being herself. Mom doesn’t usually wake up saying, “Hey, I got postpartum depression.” A mom will wake up and say something’s not right. “I’m just not myself; I haven’t felt like myself in days.” Another is sleep disturbances. You’re either oversleeping or sleeping all the time, you’re so tired. Even when the baby sleeps, you’re not able to sleep. Mothers can’t fall asleep; they can’t stay asleep. Eating disturbances: overeating, eating sugar, chocolate; eating comfort food, and craving certain food. Or “I can’t eat at all. I haven’t been able to eat. I can’t swallow — the thought of food makes me sick. I have no appetite.” [Basically, it’s] not feeling yourself: overeating, undereating, oversleeping, undersleeping.
Weekly: Will your relationship with GH continue?
Meyer: We’re still going to continue to work together so we have an accurate storyline. [Robin] is going to be in a support group for postpartum depression that is very accurate.
Look for the next part of this interview on our site soon.
