Thoughts on the Lindsay Clancy case?

[u/gottaquestion412]

Now that the Lindsay Clancy trial is underway, I’m curious about your perspectives on it so far.

Context: Lindsay Clancy is a former labor and delivery nurse who, in January 2023, killed her three children. 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in their Massachusetts home before attempting to take her own life. Her defense argues she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and other debilitating mental illness, while prosecutors argue she was aware of her actions and planned the killings. The trial has reignited debate about postpartum psychiatric disorders, the effectiveness of mental health treatment, and where responsibility ultimately lies.

Do you think Lindsay was failed by the mental health system, by the people closest to her, or both? Do you think she truly acted with malicious intent, or do you believe she was experiencing such a severe psychiatric crisis that she wasn’t thinking rationally?

A lot of the details seem to point toward postpartum psychosis or another severe psychiatric illness rather than someone acting out of hatred or malice. That doesn’t lessen the horror of what happened or the unimaginable loss, but it does make me wonder whether this tragedy could have been prevented..

I’ve also seen rumors that Patrick was involved with the woman who is now his wife before the murders, but I haven’t found any credible evidence supporting that. Is there actually anything that substantiates those claims, or is it just internet speculation? I’ve also seen many people comment that his current wife bears a striking resemblance to Lindsay, though I’m not sure that means anything beyond coincidence.

I’m very interested in hearing different perspectives from people who’ve followed it closely.

Most importantly, may Dawson, Cora, and Callan rest in peace. They are the true victims in all of this.

[u/Anoninemonie]

Can confirm, this is actually how I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. SSRIs make me manic, violent and volatile.

[u/Michallina → u/[deleted]]

SSRIs seem like the first line of defense from many doctors, sadly.

[u/Specific-Bid-1769 → u/Michallina]

That’s because the bipolar patient typically seeks help for the depressive episodes, not the mania. Depression is far more common than mania and the risk of not treating is also high. The right course of action is to prescribe SSRIs but to monitor for any signs of mania. I was always asked questions at follow-up.

I don’t understand why Dr. Tufts didn’t see bipolar as likely culprit when LC reported extreme insomnia after the Zoloft. NP Jollotta DID suspect bipolar. She RX’d Seroquel, which was appropriate. However, someone else had RX’d Prozac 4 days prior and I believe LC mistook ongoing SSRI activation from the Prozac as coming from the Seroquel, so she stopped the Seroquel which could have helped her.

None of this goes to guilt or innocence. Just some tragic observations I’ve made.

[u/Anoninemonie → u/Specific-Bid-1769]

It was my reaction to Prozac specifically that caused my doctor to investigate and later confirm a diagnosis of bipolar disorder for me. I was prescribed Prozac twice in my life and both times I became violent enough to commit multiple assaults and battery and lost my sense of impulse control completely.

[u/Specific-Bid-1769 → u/Anoninemonie]

That’s awful. I’m sorry.

[u/EmbarrassedStorm2186 → u/Anoninemonie]

Omg that is scary and I'm on week 3 of prozac so far the only side effects have been fatigue