Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for postpartum psychosis and provides direction when postpartum psychosis removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Postpartum Psychosis
Postpartum Psychosis often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when postpartum psychosis has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult postpartum psychosis periods
- A basis for action independent of how postpartum psychosis makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Postpartum Psychosis
Ask yourself: 'If my postpartum psychosis were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Postpartum Psychosis
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when postpartum psychosis is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite postpartum psychosis, are more sustainable than waiting for postpartum psychosis to lift first.