Postpartum Depression
HOW TO RECOGNIZE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Most people in our society have a very limited understanding of depression. While everyone feels sad or ‘blue’ from time to time, chronic depression is a serious biochemical disease. It is a mood disorder where feelings of frustration, loss, anger, or sadness impede everyday activities and interrupt productive lives for an extended period of time.
Chronic depression can be mild, moderate, or severe, but it should never be ignored. Clinical depression has been shown to cause significantly harmful physical changes to the human brain.
Many people, however, do not believe depression is a disease at all. Instead, it is too often viewed as a character flaw, something the sufferer could or even should ‘just snap out of.’
Unfortunately, a large percentage of people who suffer from chronic depression also believe that their condition is a sign of weakness or an indulgence in self-pity and that they are somehow responsible for their condition. This is a major reason victims fail to seek the much needed professional counseling and/or medications that can be such effective treatments.
Postpartum Depression: More Common Than You Think
When depression occurs either while a woman is pregnant or up to a year following delivery it is known as postpartum (or perinatal) depression. Although the precise incidence of postpartum depression is not known, it is considered one of the most frequent pregnancy-related complications.
It is not unusual for postpartum depression to go undetected and therefore untreated. This can be because postpartum depression symptoms can mimic changes normally associated with pregnancy: insomnia; fatigue; weight gain; and mood swings and unusually powerful emotions.
Postpartum Depression: A Differential Diagnosis
While postpartum depressive symptoms themselves may not seem unusual and consequently get overlooked, it is important to take a more sophisticated overview. Postpartum depression symptoms are similar to many other symptoms of mental health problems in one very important way. Although almost everyone at one time or another experiences all the symptoms listed above for postpartum depression, what separates postpartum symptoms from normal moods is their duration and intensity. This is what is known as a differential diagnosis.
A differential diagnosis simply means that while the symptoms the patients experience are not unique, a professional has determined that these particular people are experiencing symptoms in a very different, more severe, and often dangerous way from what is considered average.
When the pregnant woman or new mom’s personal, professional, or social life is seen to suffer from the symptoms, it is time to get a professional’s opinion. A trained mental health professional can make a much more reliable and accurate judgment as to whether a woman is or is not suffering from clinical postpartum depression.
It is unlikely that the postpartum depression sufferer will seek help on her own. Therefore, it is important for those around anyone suffering postpartum depression or any other form of the disease to be supportive and understanding, but firm in encouraging the depressed person to seek help.
Common Symptoms That Could Signal Postpartum Depression
If you notice an unusual number of the following symptoms or if one or more interferes with daily activities or relationships you might want to consult an expert in postpartum depression.
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and being overwhelme
- Frequent crying
- Overeating or anorexia (lack of appetite)
- Insomnia or problem with oversleeping
- Feelings of irritability or restlessness
- Trouble focusing, poor memory, or inability to make decisions
- Feelings of worthlessness and/or guilt
- Lack of motivation or energy
- Withdrawal from or lack of interest or pleasure in daily activities, family, or friends
- Experiencing chest pains, rapid pulse, irregular heartbeat, palpitations, headaches, or hyperventilation.