Inferno is an incredible biography by Catherine Cho, following her experience of postpartum psychosis, which affected her almost 100 days after she had given birth.
During her pregnancy, Cho experiences pressure from her Korean family to honour her heritage by staying inside for 100 days; this is a Korean tradition believed to protect the baby from evil. However, she is not as superstitious as her family, and instead plans a trip with her husband and newborn which will end with a 100 day celebration party instead. Needless to say, not all goes to plan, as Cho becomes increasingly stressed and begins to lose control as her mental health declines.
Before reading this book, I understood that childbirth did pose a risk to a woman’s mental health, but I had just never heard of it triggering psychosis to the extent written in Cho’s book. Fortunately, I don’t know anyone who has suffered from this condition (at least none who have spoken out about it), but apparently it can affect 1-2 in 1000 women, so it’s more common than you might think.
Reading her account was almost like being drawn into a good piece of fiction. As she recounts her anxiety and delusions, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember this was real for her. I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been to disconnect so much from reality, and how frightened her family must have been for her. During her episodes, she switched between thinking she was a child, an old woman, and her true self. She also believed her family were trapped in purgatory and she saw demons everywhere.
My Aunt used to work with Dementia patients who suffered from hallucinations, and some of her stories always stuck with me, particularly the one of a man who would see aircraft hovering outside his window all the time, and another man who was followed around by an elderly woman who brought him comfort. Around this time, she gifted me The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks, which really cemented my interest in the human mind! As a result, this first person account of deteriorating mental health was eye-opening, as books like this are often written by the people studying the behaviour, not the ones experiencing it! Though writing about her suffering must have been difficult, I am grateful for an insight into her experiences, which has definitely raised my awareness of postpartum conditions.
I have a lot of admiration for Cho’s brave decision to share her story with the world. Not everyone will understand, but for others I think it shows the very real risks of childbirth on a woman’s mind and body, and the absolutely essential need for stable and securely funded mental health services. Though Cho lives in England, her episode happened on holiday in America, so that added pressure of those frightening medical bills must have been an awful strain on the family.
This incredible read brought about some brilliant discussion points, it was educational, and was honestly just a wonderfully written biography. I highly recommend for anyone interested in women’s health and psychology.
★★★★★ (5/5)
