The Woman in Me

A conservatorship is a legal relationship in which a judge appoints a guardian or guardians for an individual who does not have the capacity to care for themself. Typically, people who are placed under conservatorships are either minors, elderly people experiencing dementia or other loss of function, people with disabilities that prevent them from living independently, or people with severe mental illness who cannot manage their own affairs or who are in danger of hurting themselves or others. Conservatorships can leave individuals vulnerable to abuse if the system is used inappropriately, as in Spears’s case.

Lithium salts have a lengthy history of use as psychiatric medications. These compounds were some of the earliest medications that were able to successfully treat certain mental health concerns. Today, lithium is sometimes prescribed as a mood stabilizer for patients with bipolar disorder. It can also be used to treat depression. Spears describes lithium as “a dangerous drug” (187); it’s true that lithium can have dangerous side effects, and that Spears responded poorly to it, but when correctly prescribed, lithium has also proven to be beneficial in some cases, just like many psychiatric medications.

Perinatal depression refers to symptoms of clinical depression immediately before and after the birth of a child. Postpartum depression occurs after birth. These experiences are relatively common and may be caused in part by major hormone shifts in the body during and immediately after pregnancy. Perinatal and postpartum depression can cause profound feelings of sadness and despair, suicidal ideation, and a temporary inability to bond with one’s child. Spears experienced perinatal and postpartum depression before and after the birth of her second son. These forms of depression have been treated effectively in a variety of ways, including medication and psychotherapy.