This paper considers the impact of PND on the sufferer and her family and draws heavily on my own personal experiences.

PND consumes all in its path. Its impacts are not just confined to the sufferer, but affect the whole family. Previously strong and self contained families have been devastated by PND. But for those who survive it acts as a strengthening exercise in love, commitment and a belief in one's self.

However the path to recovery is a rocky one. Once diagnosed with PND, I could not come to terms with the thought of having a mental illness. I was a capable well educated woman who was no longer rational. I was caught in a dark tunnel and as I sank lower into depression, it started to impact on my family. My husband and I no longer had a love life, we communicated poorly, and he became the carer and I the patient. There was no enjoyment in our life and no laughter. In fact laughter was what we missed the most.

Our family experienced four distinct stages throughout the ordeal. As part of my talk I will address each of these stages of the illness from the perspective of myself, my husband and our family unit.

• Stage one: our life before treatment
• Stage two: the treatment phase
• Stage three: recovery
• Stage four: long term maintenance

Despite the heartache along the way I am glad we have experienced PND, for it has made me more aware and more alive. Our family chose to turn our experience into something positive, educating as many people as we could about the illness and writing a book about PND.

We have survived and grown.