From Darkness to Daylight: Healing from Postnatal Depression
- mariannegunnigan
- Mar 11
- 7 min read
Postnatal depression, often shortened to PND, is something many families in Ireland are touched by, even if it's not always spoken about openly. We're very good at celebrating new life but we're not always as good at naming the emotional complexity that can follow it.
Alongside PND, there is another condition that is talked about far less, and that is postnatal psychosis, sometimes shortened to PNP. The two can sound similar in that they both happen after birth and they both affect the mental health of the new mother, but they are very different experiences and it is important to understand that distinction.
Not to frighten anyone or medicalise normal emotions, but to offer clarity.
What is postnatal depression?
Postnatal depression is a depressive illness that can develop in the first year after having a baby. In Ireland, the Health Service Executive (HSE) recognises it as a significant perinatal mental health issue, affecting a substantial number of new mothers each year.
Symptoms of PND include:
Persistent low mood
Tearfulness
Anxiety
Irritability
Loss of enjoyment
Sleep difficulties that go beyond normal newborn exhaustion
Feelings of guilt or inadequacy
Intrusive thoughts.
Many women describe feeling like they don't recognise themselves. They may feel disconnected from their baby or overwhelmed by responsibility. It is estimated that every year in Ireland 10 - 15% of new mothers will experience PND.
Postnatal psychosis on the other hand, is much rarer affecting approximately 0.1% of new mothers in Ireland. It occurs usually in the first days or weeks after birth and is considered a psychiatric emergency because symptoms can escalate quickly.
With postnatal psychosis, there can be a loss of contact with reality. A woman may experience hallucinations, which are seeing or hearing things that are not there. She may have delusional beliefs that feel absolutely true to her but aren't based in reality. Her thinking may become very disorganised. Her mood may swing dramatically from elation to despair. Sleep may drop to almost nothing.
This isn't the same as feeling low or anxious, it isn't the same as intrusive thoughts, which many women with PND experience and find frightening. In intrusive thoughts, the person recognises the thoughts as unwanted and distressing whereas in psychosis, beliefs can feel real and convincing.
Postnatal psychosis requires urgent medical assessment. In Ireland, that may involve referral to specialist perinatal mental health teams through the HSE and sometimes admission to hospital for safety and stabilisation.
It is treatable. Most women recover fully with the right care, but it needs swift intervention.
There can be fear around talking about postnatal mental health because people sometimes conflate PND with postnatal psychosis. They hear stories in the media about rare and tragic cases and assume that any form of postnatal depression carries the same risk.
That misunderstanding can frighten and silence women. Importantly, with PND, the woman usually remains in touch with reality. She may feel low, anxious or hopeless, but she knows where she is, she knows who her baby is. Her thoughts, while distressing, are recognisable as her own. It can be deeply painful and debilitating, but it's very different from psychosis.
A mother with PND who is already feeling ashamed might think, if I admit I am struggling, will someone think I am dangerous? Will they think I am losing my mind? Will my children be taken off me?
It's crucial to say this clearly; postnatal depression doesn't mean you are psychotic. Feeling low, anxious, disconnected or irritable doesn't mean you are at risk of losing touch with reality. The vast majority of women with PND don't develop psychosis.
At the same time, knowing the signs of postnatal psychosis can save lives. If someone becomes extremely confused, expresses bizarre or fixed false beliefs, seems out of touch with reality, or stops sleeping almost entirely, that isn't something to wait out. It's something to seek urgent help for.
Both conditions deserve compassion and require professional support but they are very different in nature and intensity.
My experience with PND
I was diagnosed with postnatal depression when my third baby was about four months old. I felt quite a lot of shame at not enjoying motherhood and at feeling so depressed.
I worried about what the label meant or what people might think, or that saying I had PND might make others think something extreme was happening behind our front door.
My experience was one of heaviness, anxiety and a deep sense of not recognising myself. I was low and overwhelmed. I wasn't psychotic or detached from reality. I was a mother struggling with depression. I was also struggling with overwhelming guilt that breastfeeding had failed (again). I felt a failure in comparison to my sisters-in-law who were happily and succesfully feeding their babies who, in turn were thriving and gaining weight unlike my little girl (at eight weeks she was only one pound heavier than her already quite low birth weight).
Looking back at my first pregnancy, I can see that I likely had PND then too and interestingly, my experience with breastfeeding was similar. It's ironic that although I'd had a very traumatic delivery on my second baby she was the only one of my three pregnancies where I didn't experience PND and she was also the only one who was already bottle fed before I left hospital. I don't know if there was a connection between my experience of failing to breastfeed and developing PND but I think that for me it felt as though there was. I wasn't actually diagnosed on my first, it was only with the benefit of hindsight that I realised the experience was the same as on my third.
Once diagnosed I was prescribed anti-depressents but there was no mention of therapy. Looking back now with my clinician's lens I can see that was a missed opportunity. Medication can really help to create a circuit breaker in the depression but having a non-judgemental space to talk and explore the very confusing feelings helps to process and move on from the experience with more understanding and less shame.
In Ireland, conversations about maternal mental health are certainly improving, but stigma still lingers. There can be a fear that admitting to depression means you're not coping. There can also be a deeper fear that admitting to challenging symptoms might trigger judgement or excessive intervention. Clear information can help dismantle that fear.
Postnatal depression is common and treatable. It often responds well to a combination of support, therapy and sometimes medication. It doesn't mean you're dangerous or incapable.
Postnatal psychosis is rare and serious. It requires urgent care. It's not caused by weakness or a moral failing. It's a medical emergency that needs specialist treatment.
Both conditions exist within a healthcare system that's still developing its perinatal mental health services. Specialist teams are now available in many regions through the Health Service Executive, which is a positive shift. The more we talk about these distinctions openly, the more likely women are to seek the right help at the right time.
If you're feeling persistently low, anxious, irritable, detached or hopeless after having a baby, that's reason enough to speak to your GP or public health nurse. You don't need to wait until things feel unbearable.
If you or someone close to you notices signs of confusion, hallucinations, delusional beliefs, extreme mood swings, or severe sleep loss with escalating agitation, that requires urgent assessment. In Ireland, that may mean contacting your GP immediately, attending an emergency department, or calling emergency services.
Seeking help isn't overreacting, it's protecting yourself and your baby.
Most women who experience postnatal mental health difficulties experience depression or anxiety, not psychosis, recover well with the right support and go on to feel like themselves again.
Understanding the distinction between PND and PNP isn't about creating more fear. It's about clarity and removing the fog of misunderstanding that keeps women silent.
If you're struggling and you still know who you are, where you are, and what is real, even if you feel like a faded version of yourself, that's depression and you deserve support for it, without shame or judgement.
Services available:
1. Nurture Health
Private counselling and mental health service specialising in:
Postnatal depression
Perinatal anxiety
Birth trauma
Adjustment to motherhood
Provides:
One-to-one therapy
Trauma-informed counselling
Emotional support during pregnancy and postpartum
You can self-refer (no GP referral required)
Available country-wide with in-person and online sessions available
Contact Nurture: https://nurturehealth.ie/
.
2. HSE perinatal mental health teams (free public service)
Available through maternity hospitals such as:
Rotunda Hospital
The Coombe Hospital
They provide:
Psychiatric assessment
Perinatal psychiatrists
Specialist mental health nurses
Therapy and medication if needed
Referral through:
GP
Public health nurse
Midwife
Obstetrician
This is free under the HSE.
Counselling and therapy services (private and specialist)
Specialist therapists in Ireland
Examples include:
Postnatal Anxiety and Depression Counselling – specialist counselling for postnatal mental health
Matrescence Therapy Ireland – therapy focused on motherhood transition
Cradle Psychology – perinatal mental health support
These services offer:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Trauma therapy
Emotional support and coping strategies
National charities and support organisations
1. Aware
Provides:
Free support groups
Support line
Online support groups
Education on depression recovery
Very accessible and well-established in Ireland.
2. Cuidiú
Specialises in supporting parents with:
Postnatal depression
Emotional support groups
Peer support from other mothers
Parenting education
Peer support is particularly helpful for reducing isolation.
3. Parentline
Provides:
Confidential support phone line
Emotional support for parents
Advice and listening support
Available nationwide.
Other important supports
GP (very important first step)
Your GP can:
Diagnose postnatal depression
Prescribe antidepressants if needed
Refer to HSE mental health services
Refer to specialist perinatal teams
Public Health Nurse (free)
Public health nurses:
Visit mothers after birth
Screen for postnatal depression
Provide emotional support
Refer to services if needed
Hospital and psychiatric services (if severe)
If symptoms are severe, referral may be made to specialist services such as:
St Patrick's University Hospital
They provide:
Specialist psychiatric care
Therapy and medication
Intensive treatment if required
Support groups and peer support
Very helpful for recovery:
Cuidiú support groups
Mum support groups
Online perinatal mental health communities
Therapy groups
Peer support reduces isolation and improves recovery.
Summary – main supports in Ireland
Type | Examples |
Specialist perinatal therapy | Nurture Health, Matrescence Therapy |
Free HSE services | Perinatal mental health teams |
GP and public health nurse | First-line medical support |
Charities | Aware, Cuidiú, Parentline |
Private therapy | Specialist psychologists and counsellors |
Hospital psychiatric care | St Patrick’s University Hospital |
Postnatal depression is much more common than people realise, and in Ireland thousands of women experience it each year. The most important thing to remember is that you're not alone, and support is available. Talking to your GP, public health nurse, a trusted friend, or reaching out to organisations that support maternal mental health can be the first step toward recovery. With the right help, understanding and time, things can and will get better. If this is something you or someone you love is facing, seeking support isn't a sign of weakness but an act of care for both mother and baby.
Take that first step and reach out for help and things will get better.
Marianne Gunnigan March 2026
0862525132
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