Healing the Tigress
A podcast that focuses on conversations & stories around Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) maternal mental health, hosted by Taiwanese American mothers Peggy (LCSW, PMH-C) & Jasmine (PharmD, PMH-C) who are also postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety survivors.
Mental health is not talked about enough in our AAPI communities, and we want to break these stigmas especially for mothers and partners. As AAPI healthcare providers who personally struggled during postpartum and are now perinatal mental health certified, we want to see more representation of other AAPI parents who know how important it is to take care of our mental health.
We talk with AAPI guests about a variety of themes in mental health and parenting, particularly what that looks like through the lens of our culture within the Western world. There are also discussions with professionals in the field, to help our providers and allies. We're not afraid to talk about the hard things that might seem taboo. We hope this podcast reminds you that you are not alone in your struggles as an AAPI parent!
If you'd like to support our cause or subscribe for exclusive bonus episodes, please check out this link to support or subscribe! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2401277/subscribe
Healing the Tigress
Ep. 44 - Why We Don't Rarify Postpartum Psychosis with Kriti Lodha
We had the great pleasure of talking with Kriti Lodha in today's episode about her postpartum story that surrounds the highly stigmatized and misunderstood topic of postpartum psychosis, which can affect 1 to 2 in 1000 women. While Kriti didn't have noticeable risk factors for postpartum psychosis, her experience with being a first-time pandemic mom while also grappling with the postpartum mental health emergency has profoundly affected and shaped her motherhood journey and career path going forward.
Kriti is a South Asian mom who was born and raised in Luxembourg, Europe and moved to the U.S. when she was 11 years old. Kriti is a seasoned marketing and technology executive with a track record of building and scaling multi-million-dollar businesses, brands, and teams across the SaaS and CPG industries, including Toast and Procter & Gamble. Today, Kriti proudly serves as Executive Advisor at the Center for Women’s Mental Health at Mass General Hospital, on the Board of Directors at Postpartum Support International, as well as a peer support group leader for fellow psychosis survivors.
In this episode, we talk about Kriti's story, thoughts on breastfeeding and societal pressures, how being South Asian played a role in her journey, and why she now chooses to pursue work that advocates for maternal mental health. We also pointedly talk about why it is important not to "rarify" postpartum psychosis and see it only as the sensationalized version portrayed in the media. Because while postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency, it is often not the sensationalized version and also highly treatable so families need to be equipped with the tools to recognize symptoms and know how to take action.
We loved this discussion with Kriti and we are excited that she is now working on marrying her lived experience and professional expertise to design new models of care that expand access to specialized treatment for families navigating severe perinatal mental health challenges!
Find More of Kriti:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kritilodha/
Resources Mentioned:
- Dr. Ruta Nonac's blog on breastfeeding/mental health
- More than Blue documentary - this is where folks can check out trailer, sign up to host screenings, etc.
- Postpartum Psychosis (PPP) Get Help Page from PSI- one stop shop that includes discussion tool, support groups, etc.
- So Glad You Asked Podcast (Available anywhere you get podcasts too!)
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