Of all the perinatal mental health disorders, postpartum psychosis is considered a medical emergency and absolutely requires treatment. It affects 1 to 2 in 1000 mothers and is often misunderstood. 

On this episode, our guest is Jigyna Patel, a South Asian mom of 3 girls from Houston, Texas. Her perinatal story spans over 10 years, including many different layers: the cultural stigma South Asians mom feel, the struggles of having a surprise twin pregnancy, being undiagnosed with postpartum psychosis, and having fertility issues while having PCOS. 

After her severe experience with 3 different perinatal mental health disorders (PMHDs), it has become her passion to spread awareness and knowledge of maternal mental health. Jigyna developed postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum psychosis in 2014 and then postpartum depression and anxiety again in 2019 with her twins. 

We talk with Jigyna about how her traumatic birth and lack of sleep may have contributed to her PMHDs the first time around. She shares how she started to lose speech, stop seeing color, and hallucinate but she never knew these were symptoms of psychosis. Jigyna didn't know how to explain these symptoms to providers out of fear and the stigma in South Asian culture around mental health struggles. 

This episode dives into how Jigyna finally learned she had postpartum psychosis (years later) and how she recovered and received treatment. We discuss cultural barriers that she had to overcome and what work still needs to be done to support moms with postpartum psychosis, especially being a person of color. We hope this episode will help others feel seen if this experience resonates with you or for providers to learn more about the experience of postpartum psychosis, especially from the perspective of an AAPI mom.

Find more of Jigyna:
Instagram: instagram.com/jigyna525
Email: jpatelpsihouston@gmail.com 

Jigyna has a degree from the University of Houston with a bachelors in Communications. Her career background is in Public Relations and Event Planning. She holds several different volunteer roles within in PSI such as the Houston & Hindu support coordinator, a peer in the peer mentor program, and a member of the postpartum psychosis taskforce. Recently, she joined the Texas Chapter as a board member for 2025 as well became a project manager for The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. Jigyna is also sharing her story through digital platforms such as The Moth and Storycenter and has been a speaker at the annual PSI conference in 2023 and 2024 on her lived experience with postpartum psychosis. 

Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers' own. This podcast is not a replacement for therapy or professional/medical advice. If you need more support or advice, please reach out to your own medical professional who can answer your questions with your individual medical history and background in context.

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