Viral Photo Exposes Disease Mothers Don’t Talk About – Parenthood

The protagonist is Kathy DiVicenzo. This anonymous heroine first put a photo on her Facebook page that was worth more than a thousand words. This one, on which we see her completely overwhelmed with her two children, quickly went viral. Without knowing it or wanting it, she was referring to postpartum depression, a disease that is never talked about.

Even if the mothers do not speak about it in person and prefer to keep it quiet, the official statistics are present. According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in nine mothers will suffer from it.

Postpartum depression is a syndrome that affects every woman who has just given birth. This can suffer from it moderately or intensely. Usually, it arises during the first three months of a baby’s life, although it can also occur throughout the first year after birth.

A viral photo: the x-ray of a silent disease

This very powerful viral photo has been around the world. She had the ability to reveal a disorder as frequent and common as it was silent. Postpartum depression is, for many, a misunderstood disease.

In this strong image, we can see Kathy with her two children. The scene has not been prepared, it is quite natural. The three are sitting on the floor, in a completely messy room full of toys. His devastated face is not the only one to express his dismay.

We find another interesting role: that occupied by each little one. The little girl tries to get her mother’s attention to play, while the baby is lying on the floor, with a “full” diaper. The panorama is completed by the appearance of Kathy, which completely reveals the problem.

The mum, disheveled and gray, is dressed in a badly put on bra. It’s come down to one side, which brings us back to the breastfeeding period and all that it involves (good and not so good). Her face is an ode to the dark circles of fatigue and is living proof of the exhaustion she feels.

The other side of the coin

This post, in reality, did not stop there: this North American mom also put another image in parallel. Like a kind of counterpoint with a completely different panorama. The first thing you notice in this photo is the order in the bedroom.

In addition, the little girl observes her, smiling as she plays with her two dolls. The baby, meanwhile, is dressed and lying on a soft mattress. The biggest change and the biggest contrast is with Kathy, who is hairy, well dressed and smiling. Rested. She is radiant, happy and fulfilled there.

Kathy DiVicenzo has, in this way, been remarkably successful in breaking the silence that envelops this subject. She also goes a step further by seeking that all mothers who suffer from this condition share their experience so  that they “know that they are not alone”.

The National Institute of Mental Health in the United States understands postpartum depression as  “a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth”. According to experts in the field, the causes of this disease respond to a mixture of physical and emotional factors.

Symptoms of postpartum depression to consider

There are many signs that a mother is suffering from this disease. This is important to receive the necessary support and, moreover, to prevent this condition from drifting into an even more serious problem. Thus, the symptoms and risk factors to take into account are as follows:

• A deep feeling of sadness and emptiness, a loss of hope.
• Frequent crying for no apparent reason.
• Continuous anxiety and anguish.
• Constant irritability and bad mood.
• A tendency to sleep too much or, on the contrary, not to sleep.
• Anger and rage.
• Loss of interest and memory, in addition to difficulty in paying attention and concentrating.
• A lack of appetite.
• Physical pain, stomach problems and muscle ailments.
• Difficulties reuniting with friends and relatives as well as emotional attachment problems with the baby.