Baby Blue: Postpartum Depression Dialogue
1 hour
LIVE ZOOM RECORDED SESSION
Former player & wife duo, Gus and Ann Frerotte, join psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Homitsky and Silence the Shame's Shanti Das for a moderated discussion around Postpartum Depression (PPD), a condition many parents, both mothers and fathers, experience but often goes untreated. They'll talk about common "baby blues" symptoms and how others can provide support to those suffering from PPD. Watch the recording from the live session below.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON PPD:
Silence the Shame webinar on Managing Postpartum Depression in a Pandemic
Silence the Shame podcast on Postpartum Depression
https://www.thehealthy.com/pregnancy/postpartum-depression-symptoms/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20376617
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/perinatal-depression/index.shtml
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/postpartum-depression
Dr. Homitsky
Dr. Sarah Homitsky is the medical director for Women’s Behavioral Health at Allegheny Health Network. Her clinical expertise is in providing psychiatric services for women across the lifespan, focusing on the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. Dr. Homitsky graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and completed her triple-board residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, currently board certified in adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and pediatrics. In 2017, Dr. Homitsky received the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Health Care Hero Award, the Carnegie Library’s Community Partner of the year award, and The Incline’s “Who’s Next in Health” award, recognizing her as one of Pittsburgh’s young health leaders. She was also recently honored by Cribs for Kids as one of their 2019 Women of Achievement and was awarded the Pittsburgh Psychiatric Society’s Early Career Psychiatrist Award in 2019.
Shanti Das
Entertainment industry veteran Shanti Das launched Silence the Shame (STS) in 2016. Silence the Shame is a nonprofit organization that focuses on education and awareness around mental health. STS aims to normalize the conversation, peel back the layers of shame, eliminate stigma, and provide mental well-being support through crisis response training, community conversations, wellness training, digital content, and outreach programs. Inspired by Shanti’s own experience with depression, when she was as an infant, her father committed suicide, leaving her mother to raise three children alone. Reportedly, there are millions of people suffering from depression and are afraid to speak on it. Through the campaign and a series of events, Shanti hopes to spark a national conversation that will lead to increased awareness and funding to support those living with mental health conditions.
Gus Frerotte
After a 15-year career in the NFL, Gus retired as a Minnesota Viking in 2008. After his NFL career, Gus went on to coach at John Burroughs School from 2010-2013. During his three seasons, the Burroughs Bombers competed for the State Championship. He ended his high school coaching career with a record of 42-3. After moving back to Western Pennsylvania, Gus worked as a coach for the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings. After 15 years in the NFL and raising three children who play contact sports, Gus is passionate about brain safety and has partnered with entrepreneurs to impact that sector. Transferring leadership skills learned from his professional sports career Gus is working with: RC21X, Winning Profile, Human Performance at The Energy Innovation Center and Huddle Up with Gus Podcast.
Ann Frerotte
Ann Frerotte is an outpatient nurse and therapist at Women’s Behavioral Health. Ann has worked as a nurse in various settings, from a floor nurse in pediatrics at Fairfax Hospital in Northern Virginia to an outpatient nurse at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University to a school nurse at John Burroughs School in St. Louis. After moving all over the country during her husband’s 15-year NFL career, Ann, Gus, and their children settled back in Pennsylvania. Ann went back to her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, to get a Masters of Social Work and has worked in the perinatal mental health clinic since January 2019. Ann and Gus have three children Abby (25), Gunnar (22), and Gabe (21), all of whom are in various stages of college, graduating from college or in graduate school.