Breanna’s Story: She found healing through PSI and is now helping other new parents.

By Breanna, Postpartum Psychosis Survivor

At PSI, we understand that storytelling has the power to save lives, and we are honored to provide a space for survivors to share their stories. This article is part of a subsection of the PSI blog dedicated to survivor stories. Please note that this story has not been edited, and caution is advised as distressing themes related to perinatal mental health may be present. If there are specific trigger warnings for an article, they will be listed below. Links to resources can be found at the bottom of this page.

I had my daughter in March 2021 and experienced psychosis soon after she was born (manic symptoms, delusions, sleep disruption). When she was two weeks old, I was hospitalized at a general psych ward, separated from my baby, for 12 days. When I was discharged, my care plan included a virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP) four days a week, three hours a day.

The other women in the IOP had very real challenges, but they were not my challenges. It was difficult to stay engaged in the IOP sessions because I would hear a mom describe her symptoms and see the sympathetic faces of the other participants, and they would validate her experiences (Yes! It was the same for me!). I felt like everyone there was different from me, and it did not feel like a supportive environment.

Connecting with PSI

A family member found PSI’s website and told me about their online support groups. From the very first meeting of the perinatal psychosis group, it was clear I had found the support I needed. The facilitators were honest and vulnerable, but were far enough into recovery to provide so much hope for me that things could get better.

Most of the other participants had experienced psychosis in the past year, and what they shared really resonated. Even just the group introductions, where I heard about other hospitalizations, were so validating. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t alone. Regular participation in the groups was enormously helpful for my healing.

After I had been a participant for about a year, Megan, the Peer Support Program Manager, reached out to see if I would be interested in the role of facilitator. At that time, I still felt that participation as a help seeker was right for me, and Megan let me know that if I was ever interested, the role would be available.

I remained a help seeker through my second pregnancy (and with the support of a reproductive psychiatrist, was able to course correct with medication when the first symptoms of psychosis started to pop up postpartum).

From Healing to Helping

When my youngest was about a year and a half, more than three years after my initial psychosis, I let Megan know I felt ready to try the role of facilitator. I went through the training at the end of 2024 and have been facilitating monthly since January.

I am so proud of my recovery journey, and I hope to be for someone what the perinatal psychosis facilitators were to me when I was fresh out of my psychosis: the first person they see who has lived through the nightmare of postpartum psychosis and found themselves more resilient than they ever realized.