It didn’t have to be this way—
She begged for help,
took the drugs,
admitted herself to a psych hospital,
worked with a psychiatrist.
Her doctor treated her over Zoom—
17 minutes, 20 minutes
A few supportive words
More drugs
I wonder if Lindsay and her doctor
Had met face-to-face
Human to human in close proximity—
If the doctor had looked into her troubled eyes
Or placed a supportive hand on her shoulder
Or maybe even hugged Lindsay
If things could have been different.
* * *
I have personally been touched by postpartum depression, as was my mother. I know what it’s like to tell a doctor you feel numb and then they do nothing. Lindsay’s case pulls on my heart because of how she was treated and how many times she sought help to no avail.
https://www.annbrackenauthor.com
Ann Bracken’s four books of poetry take on the topical issues of family secrets like depression and alcohol abuse, the challenges of teaching, stories of the men and women hidden away in our nation’s prisons, and the joys and challenges of aging. Ann’s use of poetic language has garnered her two Pushcart nominations, a featured spot on Best American Poetry, and appearances on Grace Cavalieri’s Poet and the Poem radio series. She worked as a contributing editor for the literary journal Little Patuxent Review and served for ten years as a co-host for the Wilde Readings Literary Series. Her latest book, Crash: A Memoir of Overmedication and Recovery, explores mother-daughter experiences of mismanaged care for depression and chronic pain, and tells the multi-generational story using primary source records, journal entries, and current medical research.
