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Today\u2019s show is a personal story of postpartum anxiety and depression that led to a voluntary psychiatric hospital evaluation. My guest will share how she got to that point, along with the signs and symptoms that went unnoticed for a long time. We will also hear about her journey to healing and how she\u2019s helping other moms now. I believe that hearing the details in others\u2019 experiences can help us recognize these signs in ourselves and our loved ones.\nCeleste Chapko lives with her husband and three children in Northwest Indiana. She is the founder of Childbirth Melodies (soon to be the Northwest Indiana Center for Maternal Wellness), offering individual and group peer support and music therapy to moms dealing with postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Celeste is a survivor of severe postpartum depression and anxiety and is passionate about supporting moms on their journey to wellness. She is also a volunteer state coordinator, online peer support group leader, and Climb Out of the Darkness leader for Postpartum Support International.\nShow Highlights:\n\nCeleste\u2019s journey with postpartum anxiety and depression: she noticed rage and anxiety at seven months into her third pregnancy, but after the birth, she convinced herself that nothing was really wrong with her\n\nHow intrusive thoughts convinced her that she needed help; her Ob prescribed Zoloft over the phone and Celeste began seeing a therapist\n\nHow Celeste went through panic attacks and just \u201cwasn\u2019t functioning well with life\u201d\n\nWhy she called her husband one day to take her to the hospital\u2019s psychiatric unit\n\nAfter five days in the psych unit, she left with four medications and a referral to see a psychiatrist\n\nThe signs in Celeste\u2019s first and second pregnancies that went unnoticed\n\nThe guilt and shame that mother feel, which lead to increased anxiety\n\nWhy Celeste refers to herself as \u201ca recovering perfectionist\u201d\n\nHow Celeste\u2019s anxiety and rage manifested themselves in her pregnancy with excessive worry and obsessive thoughts\n\nHow Celeste knew she needed next-level care in the psych hospital\n\nThe feelings of hopelessness with nowhere to turn\n\nThe need for more perinatal psych units for moms\n\nHow Celeste came into the work she does today on \u201cthe other side\u201d\n\nHow Celeste is more laid back, compassionate, and understanding to herself and others\n\nThe potential for positive change with the right help and support\n\nHow Celeste\u2019s experience has changed how she is raising her children to know how to take care of themselves\n\nCeleste\u2019s professional journey: music therapist, special education teacher, doula for music-assisted childbirth, and peer support group leader\n\nCeleste\u2019s program, The SHARE Journey (Support, Hope, Assessment, Referral, and Education) and how it helps moms with peer support\n\nCeleste\u2019s work with her Northwest Indiana Center for Maternal Wellness\n\nThe difficult task of getting people connected to the resources they need\n\nResources:\nChildbirth Melodies\nFacebook: Childbirth Melodies