This is Part 1 of a 2 Part Episode
⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses the deaths of children, postpartum mental illness, suicide, psychiatric medications and other potentially distressing topics.
The Lindsay Clancy case is one I became low-key obsessed with for a very different reason than I expected.
I initially fell down the rabbit hole because of the theories circulating online about Lindsay’s husband, Patrick — including speculation that he may have been involved and that Lindsay’s mental health was being used against her.
But the deeper I went, the more my focus shifted.
This case opened up a much bigger conversation about postpartum mental health, psychiatric care, medication, motherhood, and what happens when a woman is desperately seeking help but continues to get worse.
In Part 1, I sit down with Dr. Vassel to talk about postpartum anxiety and depression, insomnia, Lindsay’s journal entries, the 13 psychiatric medications she was prescribed in a relatively short period of time, the changes in her treatment, and the fragmented system of care surrounding her.
We also talk about why so many women have connected with Lindsay’s journal entries — not because they relate to what happened to her children, but because they recognize the anxiety,, pressure and overwhelming expectations of motherhood described in her own words.
How does someone who was actively seeking help, had family support, access to medical care and the ability to advocate for herself end up here?
And what can this case teach us about the gaps that still exist in maternal mental-health care?
The Lindsay Clancy trial is ongoing. If you want to follow the courtroom proceedings yourself, Law&Crime Network has been providing trial coverage on YouTube.
#lindseyclancy
