Hi there,

A dear friend of mine is currently experiencing a deep state of psychosis after giving birth to her first child 12 days ago and I was hoping that some of you may be able to give me some advice..

Her partner is at home with her and we (friends and family) are taking shifts to care for the baby. She has been on medication for 3 days now.

I stayed over last night and my heart broke to see my friend so disassociated and so irrational. She has ran down the road naked, has done things with her body that in any 'normal' situation would have been humiliating for her. She is also saying the nastiest things she can think of to those she loves. We know it's not 'her' so we can handle it.

I guess my question is, is it best to try to avoid any verbal aggression that she postures? For example, if she says to me "Don't you think my partner is a misogynist?" Do I say what is true - which is 'no' or do I avoid any answer thus not giving her an excuse to build on the aggression?

The other query I have is, can I, and is it helpful to talk to her now about the fact that she is experiencing psychosis? It's like the elephant in the room - and I'm not sure if I should name it with her. Her partner does - but I'm not sure if it's helpful for me to? In normal circumstances she and I are very open about everything....

Thanks for reading and considering....

Jess