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Eyes Without Sparkle – a Journey Through Postnatal Illness

This book gives graphic insight into the author's personal experiences of postnatal psychosis. The reader is taken on a detailed journey on which the author's family background and childhood, life with her second husband, the birth of her much wanted baby, her journey into postnatal psychosis and, finally, her road to restoration and health, are all described. It is clear that Hanzak's views about many areas of life have been substantially changed by her own experiences.

The level of descriptive detail is slightly heavy going in the first half of the book. However, I imagine that for a fellow sufferer or a reader with no experience of parenting, this scene setting is an essential ingredient to understanding the book and the author's experiences as a whole.

There are a number of examples given of unrealistic expectations on the part of the author. The reader is prompted to ask basic questions such as: ‘Where do these unrealistic expectations come from in the first place?’ and ‘How do we, as health professionals, help women to have realistic expectations of themselves?’

The most useful and striking insights relate to Hanzak's catalogue of different experiences with health care providers. The bottom line is very basic but often forgotten: being kind, understanding and helpful to women in all circumstances is what matters most. Basic nursing care is a high priority for women. The reader is given many examples, both positive and negative, of the behaviour of staff and how this impacts on Hanzak and her family. An example is the ward staff's adherence to routines, such as being woken at 6 a.m. for a cup of tea. The reader must see just how ridiculous this is for a desperate woman who is suffering from chronic sleep deprivation.

Some interactions with staff form part of the author's recovery and help her to cope during the bleakest moments. Some contribute to her worsening signs and symptoms–for example, without prior warning, walking into a room full of ‘professionals’ and being made to feel like a ‘case’ rather than a woman. These interactions, both verbal and non-verbal, are a salutary reminder of the importance of what we do and say during our daily routine. What is routine to the health professional is clearly not routine to patients.

The diary notes and reflections during the last chapters of the book make a very informative summary. Here the author's writing is passionate and very direct, giving examples of what helped and what clearly did not. Vivid descriptions of her thoughts during self-harm episodes help the reader engage with the frightening loss of control experienced by a number of women.

Reading this book will illuminate the journey of giving birth, as well as the journey into and out of postnatal illness. It should be read by anyone willing to be challenged about his or her own practices. It is not an easy read but is certainly a worthwhile one if empathy and increased self-awareness result.

Clare Gribbin, MRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician¹

^1. Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK

Radcliffe Publishing, 2005
ISBN 9781857756555
Paperback, 264 pages, £16.95

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gribbin, C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Gribbin, C.