Do Not Faint

Planning a pregnancy while coping with anxiety and depression

by Anne-Marie Lindsey

The Quiet Fear of Miscarriage

“Don’t tell everyone just yet.”

“Wait.”

“You haven’t really announced, though, right?”

“It’s so early!” Read More

Will the Trauma of the Pysch Ward Follow Me to the Maternity Ward?

Almost exactly five years ago, as a senior in college, I spent the night in the psych emergency room. Then, a week later, I spent another night in the same ER. The first time, I had naively expected that my new psychiatrist would react to hearing that I had been having detailed fantasies about killing myself by giving me more Zoloft. Read More

Anxiety and the Pregnancy Guide

That's right, I'm 9 weeks pregnant!

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing some tips I've found that have helped me keep my anxiety in check. Here's the first: no pregnancy books allowed! I find that books about pregnancy provoke anxiety. And I'm not alone. This article over at Slate, for example, backs me up pretty well: Read More

Study Offers Hope to Pakistani Mothers Suffering from Postpartum Depression

I have come across something about women and mental health that actually brightens my day--a rare event! But it's something that gets sad before it gets happy, so bear with me. Read More

Benzodiazepines and Addiction: Xanax Did Not Kill Whitney Houston

First, let me be clear: I am not an authority on addiction, benzodiazepines or Whitney Houston. But the media coverage surrounding the Xanax, a benzodiazepine, found in Whitney Houston's hotel room has made me see red. I'm enraged and deeply, truly sad. So I'm weighing in. Read More

[Pre] Maternal Guilt, Part Two: Green Guilt

I accidentally stumbled across the concept of preconception health, and it's the topic that inspired me to begin blogging in the first place. The problem is, once you know it's out there, you start to see advice everywhere: all these things you really should be doing to go green before a pregnancy. Read More

[Pre] Maternal Guilt: Part One

I am not yet pregnant (as far as I know), and I already feel "mommy guilt" over some of my choices.

I will be giving birth in a hospital, not at home. Read More

Letter to a Student

I wrote this letter to someone specific; last semsester, my husband reached out to a student in the philosophy class he was teaching. She appeared to be floundering, and his experience with my mental illness has alerted him to the signs that things are not going well. Read More

Beginner's Guide to Preconception Mental Health Care

About a year ago, my husband and I decided we wanted to have a baby. That makes it sound like we both came up with this idea; in reality, I explained that I desperately needed to have a baby now. He had positive feelings about parenthood, but they were not urgent. His first concern was for my mental health. Read More

Five Hilarious Things About Having Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Oh, it's so much fun having an anxiety disorder! I often think that whatever I'm feeling is nonsense caused by wacky chemicals. Of course, even if a feeling is caused by wacky brain chemistry, it's still valid, and I'm talking about the physical effects of anxiety. Read More