One day Ariane Beeston looked at her baby son in his pram and saw a dragon looking back at her. In her memoir Because I am Not Myself You See: A memoir of madness, motherhood and coming back from the brink Ariane takes us inside her visceral experience of postnatal psychosis. Her extraordinary book could save lives — and cleaves open the secrets and stigma around maternal mental health, perfectionism, eating disorders, maternal love, dance school culture, and much more. She joins Natasha Mitchell at the 2024 Williamstown Literature Festival. 

Speaker:

Ariane Beeston Author, I am Not Myself You See: A memoir of madness, motherhood and coming back from the brink (BlackInc Books, 2024)Communications and content manager, COPE: Centre of Perinatal ExcellenceWriter, psychologist, perinatal mental health advocate, dancer, choreographer, mother

Further information:

COPE: Centre of Perinatal Excellence

Support lines and resources recommended by COPE

PANDA National Helpline 1300 726 306 — available Monday to Friday 9am to 7.30pm, Saturday  9am to 4pm AEST/AEDT

PANDA: Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia post natal psychosis information

Pregnancy Birth Baby information on postpartum psychosis (Australian Government website)

Gidget Foundation Australia (focuses on emotional wellbeing of expectant parents)

Postpartum psychosis fact sheet from COPE

Postpartum psychosis information (Royal Women's Hospital Melbourne)