Throughout time, mental illness has been misunderstood and treated with contempt for the well being of the mentally ill. For a long time, the only treatment option for a mentally ill person was to commit him or her to a hospital. Recently, however, changes have been made, and breakthroughs have been made in the cause and treatment of mental illness. Unfortunately, these breakthroughs don’t come quickly enough for some. Fortunately, psychologists have learned from recent medical malpractices.
One example of wrong handling is in Charlotte Perkins Gilmore’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper. Gilman recounts his own history and struggle with depression in The Yellow Wallpaper, with his portrayal of the characters, Gilman emphasizes the pain of ignorance and unfair treatment. Science is slowly evolving in the treatment and prevention of Postpartum Depression and Psychosis. Doctors now know the importance of proper and immediate treatment, but society still attaches an ugly stigma to those women who suffer from these disorders.
Women who suffer from postpartum depression feel ashamed and confused, as if they have done something wrong and for this reason many women do not seek help and depression for psychosis, although according to the National Mental Association “about one-tenth of one percent”. of new mothers” are affected by psychosis (www.nmha.org). However, postpartum psychosis is a serious and dangerous disease, and as misunderstood as it was a hundred years ago, it is even more so today. In the defense of doctors from Gilman’s time, the science had not yet developed. , so there was a lack of information. Gilman had been treated by the well-known Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, who developed the “Requiem Cure” for women with postpartum psychosis. to-live-life”>”Live domestic life as much as possible”, “to have only two hours of intellectual life” and “never to touch pen, brush or brush again” (History and its Writer). Mitchell also prescribed bed rest, not knowing the consequences of doing absolutely nothing for a long time.
Now there is a public that doesn’t know that there is a difference, that the information is there, the proof is available to anyone, that postpartum psychosis is a real weakness. Even so, when psychosis is the cause of tragedy, the woman is still considered evil. I know a woman who, because she never suffered from “baby blues,” doesn’t believe it’s a real disease. Of course, this is the smallest view of things; My friend is a single woman, but if a woman can’t understand another person’s situation, how can a man understand? Men who force preconceived obligations on their wives, much like the women in TheYellow Wallpaper a> , There are still some of these women who are convinced here to pro-create and keep the house. This state of mind only magnifies the problem when the spouse does not recognize the immediate need for proper treatment. I have witnessed a man who considered his girlfriend lazy, in fact noticing that she was severely depressed and on the brink of falling into psychosis. But in some way he got hold of this woman, whom he had known for years to be strong-willed, and kept her under his thumb, where he remained for 11 years. Here he had a monitor in all that he did, who was very faithful to him, obeying everything he said. She had never been like before, she was a strong person who lived her life as she saw fit until she became depressed. By the time someone had gotten him help because he had fallen off rock bottom, he was suffering from visual and auditory hallucinations and paranoia. Then she was at the time of giving birth. Depression and psychosis continued at times. Keeping her in place, with the help of medicines, she conceived a second and a third. With each pregnancy she had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital and her psychosis became worse and worse. He saw his trips to the hospital as mini-vacations and did not take his health seriously. Thankfully, her friend’s story does not end in tragedy, she slowly recovered with the help of medication, therapy and leaving this husband for good. But she was never the same I once knew.
Every time a woman commits a crime, it is not because she is ill, but there are clear cases of mental illness which have resulted in murder, or death, or both. Women have a history of mental illness and the public refuses to understand the potential for postpartum depression and psychosis in all women. Andrea Vates is a good example of horror. According to www.about.com, Vates drowned her five small children on one day in June 2001, then called her husband. in 911 work. When the police arrived, Andrew asked what he had done and why. Vates claimed that it was not just to kill his children because he was punishing himself. The public, understandably, was shocked and saddened, how could a mother do such a terrible thing? Andrea Yates had a history of mental illness that got worse with every child her husband had, and her Dr’s advised her not to have more children. Her husband had convinced her otherwise, that is, when she was in extreme psychosis. Andrea Yates’ family described Russell Yates as “friendly, controlling, demanding, unemotional, abusive, superior, insensitive to Andrea’s needs, and unwilling to help with the children.” (www.about.com). If this is true, then Russell Wates was the type of man who wanted his wife to have so many children, and then take care of her, at home and children about himself.
Gilman only had one child, but it was a time when women were expected to do exactly what Andrew Yates was expected to do. in these families the people knew what was best for them. I wonder if, after all is said and done, the men of Charlotte Perkins Gilmore and Andrea Vates realized that they could be helped, because they where they went wrong. The consequences of both situations are tragic. Charlotte Perkins Gilmore finally became aware of death and, of course, we know that Andrew Vates killed five of his beautiful children and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
It’s time for society to realize that postpartum depression and psychosis are real and dangerous illnesses, and women who suffer from these illnesses don’t do it on purpose. It’s not about the story. These women are desperate and seeking help, they are drowning in their own psychosis. Too often people have resisted and held offense at the changes of their loved ones, but realizing too late that there is little help to receive the right treatment and not judging each other because the disease cannot save life.
“The glory of our race is its sharing.”
We share our strength and knowledge and rise as one; we share our failure and weakness and help each other.”–
Charlotte Perkins Gilman http://web.cortland.edu/gilman/
To read Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Short Story The Yellow wallpaper, go to
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Charles_Perkins_Gilman/
The_Yellow_Wallpaper/The_Yellow_Wallpaper_p1.html
To read about Charlotte Perkins Gilman go to
http://web.cortland.edu/gilman/
Works cited
www.about.com. Stiroff, Sheri and Bob. November 5th 2005. November 13th 2005. http://www.about.com/
Gilman Perkins, Charles. “The Crocus Wallpaper.” History And Writer. ED Anne Charters. 6th ed. New York: Bedford ST. Martin, 2003. Pg 306-318 and 878-879.
National Association of Mental Health. November 13th 2005. http://www.nmha.org
