WINNIPEG — It’s too soon to say for sure what happened inside the Westwood home where two children were found dead Wednesday, only that the results are tragic beyond belief.
Lisa Gibson, the 32-year-old mom of the infant boy and two-year-old girl, is currently missing and being sought by police who are concerned about her well-being and want to know what happened in the home.
But mental health experts say the Lisa Gibson story sounds like an episode of postpartum psychosis — a particularly severe form of the depression that some new moms face.
Psychologist Dr. Carrie Lionberg with the University of Manitoba says while we still don’t know what happened, she recognizes the symptoms.
“It would appear that this woman is experiencing one of the rarer postpartum depressions, which is a postpartum depression that includes a psychosis, which is a much rarer event — occurring in one in 1,000 births — thankfully.”
Dr. Lionberg said a person with postpartum psychosis often has a history of depression or has extreme energy swings.
The condition can also cause hallucinations.
“The woman may believe the world is such an unhealthy and unwelcoming place that the children are at danger of things that can lurk,” said Lionberg.
Manitoban Jenn Lamirande went though postpartum depression and overcame it.
After giving birth to her daughter Sophia, Lamirande was shocked to experience the worst time of her life.
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“I cried all the time, I was upset, I wasn’t enjoying my daughter and that made me feel worse,” said Lamirande.
For weeks she never left the house and she lost a lot of weight.
Finally Lamirande was diagnosed with postpartum depression.
“You never think it’s going to be you because you have everything under control and that you’re okay, I don’t have postpartum.”
While Lamirande got help and is better now, she said the tragedy at the Westwood home is shocking but not surprising.
“The depression and the loneliness, even though you’re not alone, I can understand how it drives someone with an extreme form of it to do something like that because she feel there’s no other way,” said Lamirande.
If you or someone you know is suffering from postpartum depression, Lionberg and Lamirande said “talk to someone,” adding there’s no shame in getting the help you need.
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