Postpartum psychosis affects approximately one to two per 1,000 births, begins abruptly within days of delivery, and is in most cases an episode of bipolar-spectrum illness rather than a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. It is missed with striking regularity, partly because most affected women have no prior psychiatric history and bear no resemblance to the public image of a person with chronic psychosis, and partly because postpartum psychosis is a thought disorder in which insight is characteristically impaired, so that the failure to disclose symptoms is something the illness produces rather than something the patient chooses. This article, prompted by renewed public attention following the Lindsay Clancy trial but making no claim about that case, describes how postpartum psychosis actually presents; how it differs from chronic schizophrenia, from the ordinary intrusive thoughts of new parenthood, and from perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder; and what the evidence supports for assessment, emergency treatment, prevention in high-risk pregnancies, and safety planning for mothers, infants, and families. A free relapse-prevention plan template is included.

Important Safety Note: This post is for educational purposes. If you or a loved one are experiencing severe distress, postpartum warning signs, or suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or access specialized care through Postpartum Support International’s helpline and resources.

There is a word for what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother—and it is not postpartum depression, not baby blues, not “the adjustment period.” It is matrescence: a developmental process as profound, disorienting, and biologically driven as adolescence, except that nobody talks about it the way they should. This post explores what the science now tells us about the maternal brain, the maternal body, and the maternal identity—and why having a name for this might be one of the most useful things we can offer the people living through it.

This article explores the Praxis Signature Framework, our model of elevated mental health care that integrates advanced psychiatric expertise with depth-oriented psychotherapy to deliver highly personalized, evidence-based treatment. Moving beyond routine medication management, we emphasize continuous reassessment, patient education, and shared decision-making to foster meaningful therapeutic progress. This journal entry highlights, through a case reflection, the importance of evaluating treatment effectiveness and discussing milestones in care. This entry underscores the need for clinicians to remain actively engaged in their patients’ mental health journeys. The Praxis Mental Health approach combines individualized, data-informed treatment plans with clear patient education and responsive support from the multidisciplinary team, including registered nurses. Our model exemplifies a higher standard of psychiatric and therapeutic care, aiming to empower patients and improve long-term outcomes through collaboration, curiosity, and compassionate care.