The Mayo Clinic's Definition of Postpartum Depression

Source:
“Diseases and Conditions: Postpartum Depression.” Mayoclinic.org. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2017. Web. 19 March 2017. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/basics/definition/con-20029130.

Summary:
The Mayo Clinic website provides very simple description of Postpartum depression. Now, some may wonder what postpartum depression has to do with the Babadook. My research has indicated that several of the symptoms that Emilia displays in the film fit the profile of postpartum depression, despite the fact that her son had been born seven years ago. The website has a plain list of symptoms and some advice for people who may be suffering from the condition.

Quality:
The Mayo Clinic is s reliable source. Their website notes that they are on the U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Hospitals Honor Roll” and that Consumer Reports ranks them in the top ten safest hospitals (“About Mayo Clinic…”). Other sources also note the clinic’s quality; a Business Insider article calls the Mayo Clinic “…the best brand in medicine…” (Nisen). 

In terms of my blog, this source provides a very helpful list which could help establish a claim that Emilia is suffering from a case of postpartum depression that has gone untreated since her son’s birth due the stress of her life as a single parent. A page dedicated to these connections may be found HERE.   

Issues:
Post this site is very plain, which I must assume is by design. While it is certainly clear, it offers little in the way of firsthand accounts of postpartum depression. Some links to willing post-partum depression sufferers’ writings or videos might help put a more human face on the condition and help people determine whether they should seek treatment. Please consider this statement from model and actress Brooke Shield’s book Down Came the Rain as an example:

At first I thought what I was feeling was just exhaustion, but with it came an overriding sense of panic that I had never felt before. Rowan kept crying, and I began to dread the moment when Chris would bring her back to me. I started to experience a sick sensation in my stomach; it was as if a vise were tightening around my chest. Instead of the nervous anxiety that often accompanies panic, a feeling of devastation overcame me” 

This sort of detail gives the reader a powerful firsthand insight into what postpartum depression actually feels like. A description like this has a much stronger impact than just using a plain medical term like “panic attacks."
 
Key Words and Phrases: postpartum depression, depression mother, depression, symptoms, panic, Emilia

Works Cited
“About May Clinic: Quality and Mayo Clinic.” Mayoclinic.org. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2017. Web. 19 March 2017. http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/quality/rankings.
 
Nisen, Max. “Mayo Clinic CEO: Here's Why We've Been The Leading Brand In Medicine For 100 Years.” Business Insider. Business Insider Inc. 23 Feb 2013. Web. 19 March 2017. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mayo-clinic-became-the-best-brand-in-medicine-2013-2.
 
Shields, Brooke. “Excerpt from Down Came the Rain.” PPDSupportpage. Ed. Tonya Rosenberg. N.D. Web. 19 Mar 2017. http://www.ppdsupportpage.com/brookeshields.html.