In the Story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Jane is suffering from postpartum depression that occurs as a result of rapid change in the levels of hormones such as estrogen, thyroids, and progesterone after giving birth. Depression can happen when an individual has stress or when it is in isolation after giving birth. In the story, John the husband to Jane was attending her during this time of health complication even though John who was a medical doctor misdiagnose the disease Jane was suffering from and term it as temporary nervous condition (Gilman, 1999). Due to isolation instead of effective treatment, Jane health became worse allowing the depression to escalate to postpartum psychosis form of severe postpartum reaction. In postpartum reaction, symptoms include experiencing hallucination and even delusion. Other symptoms can be insomnia, agitation, and feeling of bizarre.
In the eighteen century during the time of "The Yellow Wallpaper," people could refer psychological disorders as temporary nervous condition unless one is having a physical problem and in most cases, people isolate the victims away from the stimulating activities that might have to help them restore their health. During that time of eighteen hundred, people consider isolation as a perfect antidote for psychological disorders, but the outcome was worsening the situation (Golden, 2013). After John isolating his wife by taking her away for summer and putting her in the old house, the outcome was worsening the health of Jane. John also denied Jane to take part in stimulating activities that could have assisted her in recovering from postpartum depression.
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In the current world, the treatment of depression is possible because doctors can diagnose and know the problem an individual is suffering from enabling the doctors to administer treatment appropriately. In eighteen hundred, no technology plays a significant role in diagnosing the health problems of the people forcing many of the doctors to misdiagnose some of the health issues among the patients like the case of Jane in the story of "The yellow wall-paper." During those days, no special doctors who could help in solving problems the women were after giving birth.
The only cure during that time was the rest cure and feeding the patients with fatty milk-based diet. Sometimes the doctors could not allow the patients to read, write, talk, or even sew when in that condition. Today, treatment is possible, and women have a better chance to survive some of the complications like that of Jane that occurs after giving birth. In the olden days, health providers could isolate the patients suffering from depression from the rest of the people where the outcome of isolation is to make the condition worse like the experience of Jane. Currently, there are treatments available for depression, and therefore the problems that were affecting the women after delivery is becoming more manageable. Doctors nowadays use hormone therapy, antidepressants, and even marriage counseling to treat postpartum depression (Dennis, 2006).
References
Dennis, C. L. ‐ L. (2006). Postpartum depression help ‐ seeking barriers and maternal treatment preferences: a qualitative systematic review. Birth, 33(4) , 323-331.
Gilman, C. P. (1999). The yellow wallpaper. Project Gutenberg.
Golden, C. J. (2013). Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The yellow wall-paper: a sourcebook and critical edition. Routledge.
