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Hi

I‘m Giles Berrisford and Chair of Action on Postpartum Psychosis - APP. I work as a Perinatal Psychiatrist at the Birmingham Mother and Baby Unit and everyday I see the impact of major mental illness on new mothers and their families. 

Postpartum Psychosis is a major mental illness and  affects up to 1400 families every year. It is the most severe form of postnatal mental illness with new mums experiencing enormous mood changes, distressing changes to the way they think and process the world around them at a time when they are adjusting to being a new Mum. For half of the mums affected this is completely out of the blue with no prior history of mental illness before - totally terrifying experience for the Mum but also for the rest of the family. Treatment frequently includes admission into a psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit where appropriate medication and support can be given. A total recovery is the aim and the usual outcome - but this can take time.   

Action on Postpartum Psychosis is the only nationwide charity dedicated solely to supporting women and family affected by this most severe form of postnatal illness. It provides an active online peer support forum where mums and families can communicate directly with other mums and families further on in their journies to recovery, giving hope to families experiencing this illness for the first time or during the acute phase in a safe, moderated environment. It also provides a wealth of educational materials designed by experts with lived experience together with leading international academics and specialist clinicians.  Check out the website here.. www.app-network.org 

Like all charities, it is completely dependent on donations and volunteers. This is a particularly difficult time for all charities which is why we have taken this rather drastic step of jumping out of a plane. The online forum requires constant monitoring to make sure that the concerns of those currently in distress can be answered promptly. As you can imagine this is costly, but absolutely necessary.  To ensure that this valuable resource continues and expands to offer even more support for families affected by Postpartum Psychosis then please donate!! 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.