If you haven't been there, you can't know

Like most of the nation, I've watched the Tom Cruise public meltdown into brainwashed Scientology lunacy.

I wish our news were focused on something important, like say the stalled nomination of John Bolton for U.N. Ambassador or the seemingly deliberate move to undermine public broadcasting, but there you go.

So Tom's been amusing, at least. But his attack of Matt Lauer on the Today show was disturbing, and his derision of postpartum depression was disturbing. I mean, the man adopted two children, he's never seen what can happen on a hormonal roller coaster ride after childbirth.

I've never been diagnosed with PPD. I might have had a mild case of it after my first was born, but we moved, and the old ob didn't pick up on it, the new pediatrican wasn't watching for it, and hey, eight years ago, no one really took the baby blues as seriously as they do today.

I had suicidal thoughts at moments, though, and I really never connected with my older daughter until she was a toddler. Those are two huge red flags now that every ob and pediatrican we've had since has asked about after the other two were born. Thank God we muddled through okay.

I have had friends who were diagnosed. It isn't pretty. Vitamins, as Cruise so cheerfully offered up, won't fix it. It's a dark, dark, dark place to be.

So I'm glad Brooke Shields called him out today in The New York Times.

Take a read here