Disclaimer: The resources presented below are for informational purposes only and are not intended to replace appropriate assessment and intervention by a qualified mental health professional. Feel free to request more personalized recommendations from people on the Park Slope Parents groups. These resources are not intended to be recommendations.
Deciding if you need help
For many of us, it is a hard decision to seek outside help with problems or emotions we are experiencing. We are likely to be in crisis, feeling vulnerable, and unsure of ourselves. To help, the following are links to a web version of an article by Martha Beck, which originally appeared in the January 2003 issue of Oprah Magazine.
Screening tools
NYU has a website with several screening tools that can help you identify depression, anxiety, and other disorders. It also has lots of general information about psychiatric issues, types of help available, and other links.
NYU Psychiatry Information for the general public: https://nyulangone.org/conditions/depression-in-adults/diagnosis
Information about postpartum depression
There is a wealth of information online on this topic, and also an online support group.
Postpartum Support International
Postpartum Resource Center of New York
Advice about therapists from PSP members
A good therapist can help you if you are suffering. "Go where the energy is" is one way it has been phrased. People rarely are passionate to dig deeper or move on (they are related) when they are at ease.
A poor therapist may be one that you dread going to see, after a couple visits. In those situations, it is best to state how hard it is to show up. If the shrink's response is compassionate and you feel better, ok. But if you feel in any way shamed, demeaned, or put even further in the "one-down" position, you would do well to stand up for your self and say "this relationship does not feel like a 'good fit', Can you refer me to a very experienced male/female (the works.... specializing in Anxiety, Eating Disorders, PTSD, whatever you know you might eventually get around to talking wrt, if the shrink you get finally is THAT good)? I know people are afraid of the not-so-hot therapist slandering the person requesting a referral to the new therapist, but the truth is, shrinks pretty much already know the personalities (none walk on water) of our colleagues, and the referring therapist wants to come across as super-concerned, not childish or malevolent when discussing a case. That being said, we colleagues all know who the fakers are among us. And there are laws + ethical consequences if a therapist outright lies."
Related reading on PSP
Reviews for Mental Health Professionals
Choosing a Mental Health Professional
Help, Resources, and Advice for Stressed Out Parents, Post Partum Depression (PPD), and PMADs
