CThe birth of a child delights relatives and friends. But for a woman, this is a severe test. From sleepless nights, migraine appears. And from the vicious circle, which consists of walking, feeding, washing, walking and motion sickness, it is impossible to break out. Constant worries bring even more inconvenience: why the baby cries, what bothers him, whether he is comfortable … Despair and anger appear. First of all, on itself. Further – to the husband and relatives, and then to the child.
Depression and depression, longing and despondency are faithful companions of a young mother. Relatives, saying that children are the flowers of life, move away. The husband is trying to stay longer at work. A woman can no longer control herself. And this can lead to unpleasant consequences. And if you consult a specialist in a timely manner, he will determine the diagnosis of postpartum depression . And this is not a sentence. Every second newly made mother has such a problem. The trouble is: women do not know how long it lasts and how to overcome the disease.
Postpartum depression is a mental disorder that occurs in 20% of women after the baby is born, as well as in those who have lost a baby. When depression begins, a woman becomes unlike herself. Her behavior is changing, her outlook on life, relations are collapsing. It is necessary to establish the cause, eliminate it and begin treatment as soon as possible.
Types of Postpartum Depression
There are several forms of postpartum depression:
- Neurotic manifests itself in the form of fatigue, insomnia, inability to fulfill one’s desires, not perceiving oneself and emotional dependence. The disease with a neurotic component is manifested by pains of various localization, weakness, sleep disturbances , rapid weight loss, unreasonable fear for the baby.
- Melancholy is characterized by lethargy, guilty feelings towards others, self-flagellation and self-failure, postpartum blues begin . A woman ceases to recognize and generally perceive people close to her heart.
- Prolonged postpartum depression includes all of these symptoms, but they are not so pronounced. Not realizing that this is a problem, women blame everything on fatigue, problems in raising a baby, lack of help from relatives. A young mother becomes irritable, aggressive, constantly crying. After that, she is tormented by the conscience that she is a bad mother. She has no special feelings for the child and because of this she is even more annoyed. Postpartum psychosis develops .
Causes of Postpartum Depression
The disease is provoked by biological and psychological causes:
- history of depression ;
- the same pathology in close relatives;
- problems in relations with her husband;
- misunderstanding in the family;
- pregnancy and childbirth without a husband;
- alcohol abuse ;
- low social level of women;
- a lack of money;
- too young or mature mother’s age;
- regular stress;
- psychological problems;
- lack of sleep;
- overwork;
- problem pregnancy.
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
Diagnose the disease in women by the following symptoms:
- constantly bad mood;
- guilt;
- spleen and tears;
- sadness and despair;
- apathy for what is happening around;
- unreasonable fear and anxiety;
- panic attacks;
- inability to take care of the baby;
- lack of sleep and appetite ;
- lack of sex life .
If there are not enough signs, then the disease is determined using a test, namely the Edinburgh postpartum depression scale . It was developed back in 1987 and is an accurate screening test to identify women with postnatal depression. Based on the Zung test , anxiety and depression scales. Suitable for new mothers, regardless of how much time has passed since childbirth. True answers to the question will help to reveal the hidden form, which is important. Otherwise, the outcome may be sad.
About how postpartum depression in women is described above. It is important to say that the problem occurs with newly made fathers. Postpartum depression in men appears a little differently. To understand that a man has depression, it is worth following his behavior. And if there are at least a few signs, then he is diagnosed:
- avoids the baby or spends little time with him;
- becomes irritable, aggressive, provokes quarrels in the family;
- behavior becomes irrational: betrayal, alcohol , smoking ;
- changes the circle of friends and interests;
- does not get enough sleep, feels weak.
Even one sign indicates depression. Psychologist’s help for postpartum depression is needed. Studies have shown that the cause of depression is sleep deficiency, new responsibilities and a difficult psychological state in the wife. Every seventh father is faced with this problem. And immediately, after the birth of the baby, they feel incredibly cheerful. But after a few months they are plunged into depression.
And if it were not for the influence of society, which condemns men that complain, help their wife, spend time with a child, then a man would more easily perceive reality. But constant pressure drives him to a standstill.
How long does postpartum depression last?
The duration of depression in each woman is different. It is known that it appears between 2 and 6 months. It lasts up to 2-3 years .
But does everyone begin postpartum depression precisely in this period? In fact, everything is purely individual. It may be that a woman had it before birth, and the birth of a child only exacerbates the problem. Also, often postpartum depression can begin a year after giving birth. At first, communication with the baby brings only joy. But when it comes to understanding that this “groundhog day” will last a long time, the woman becomes discouraged. How long it will last after a cesarean or after an ordinary birth depends only on the woman. A visit to a specialist will help you overcome the problem faster.
Postpartum Depression Treatment
Do not forget about art therapy . Draw, sculpt, design. These seemingly easy ways seem incredibly effective on the psyche.
As for the treatment of meditation , it will be useful not only for women with postpartum depression, but also for those who just want to improve their mental state. Turn on shavasana for relaxation and clear your mind of everything.
Treatment of postpartum depression at home can be done with one little-known technique. Rebirthing is performed using the practice of intensive breathing for a couple of hours. This time is enough to get into the deepest states and to draw traumatic memories out. After a few lessons, the performer will have less and less negative experiences, which over time will relieve him of such a psychological influence.
The surest way to avoid postpartum depression is to visit a therapist . He will get to the bottom of the problem and help to cope with it quickly enough.
With postpartum depression, auto – training comes to the rescue – the procedure of drawing your picture of life by the method of auto-suggestion. Those who do not know how to get rid of postpartum depression on their own are advised to experience it. The process of auto-training occurs by immersion in a special state, similar to a trance, as a result of which the mind changes. Against the background of psychological changes, important attitudes are being introduced.
Hypnotherapy is another way to avoid late postpartum depression . She will quickly and accurately relieve these and other signs, return the woman to her usual mood, and resume her state of health. The earlier the hypnosis course is started, the less time the treatment procedure will take directly. Therefore, the state of health of the young mother will improve, she will experience the whole palette of positive feelings, and her quality of life will increase.
The woman’s activity after childbirth will positively affect the baby: she will be able to provide him with more attention, the positive emotions, feelings of joy and happiness associated with this will be transmitted to the baby, and will contribute to his favorable development.
In the most serious cases, medication is usually required . Basically, antidepressants are prescribed for postpartum depression of various groups. They begin to function after a couple of weeks. For absolute cure, prolonged therapy may be required. Tranquilizers are used to treat depression, in which psychosis develops.
With medical treatment, the problem often arises: to feed the baby with breast milk or be treated for depression? The problem is that numerous sedatives for a nursing mother with postpartum depression should not be used during lactation. In this case, a very serious decision is required. It is important to compare the advantages of drug therapy for mothers with acceptable risk for the baby, i.e. substances should be more beneficial than risk.
Since fluctuations in hormone levels are observed in the postnatal period, progesterone and estrogens have been proposed to treat depression . Currently, there is no accurate information about the effectiveness of hormones in postpartum depression.
Most girls recover without treatment in about a month and a half. In 10% of young mothers, signs of postnatal depression persist throughout the year, and can get a chronic course. In addition, postpartum depression may return with a second child.
It is difficult to cope with the problem yourself, but you should not discard this method. For self-treatment, it is necessary to establish the following:
- Schedule meetings and events with friends and family. Ask friends and family to call you constantly. Isolation can make depression worse, especially if it is combined with an effort to care for the newborn.
- Proper nutrition . If your appetite is lacking, eat simple snacks throughout the day.
- Allow yourself to eat mouth-watering and special foods more often than usual.
- Walk constantly with a stroller on the street as often as it is possible throughout the day. Do not sit, but remain in motion. A regular dosed load improves mood.
- Get a lot of sun .
- Ask for help with cooking and other daily tasks.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine .
- Rest and sleep as much as possible. Fatigue can increase depression.
Prevention involves the recognition of symptoms and their immediate elimination, the use of psychotherapeutic techniques and the help of relatives.
Women who have experienced depression say that not everyone was able to easily get out of it. The main thing you need is your own desire and the right attitude. Next – you need to enlist the support of your husband and relatives. If these two conditions are not met, then the consequences can be disastrous. The statistics of infanticide during the period of postpartum depression is simply amazing. But even more shocking is the suicide rate in postpartum depression.
Postpartum Depression and Husband
It is worth mentioning how postpartum depression affects the relationship with her husband. A woman, with her bad mood, scruffy appearance and eternal tantrums spoils the relationship. Only 15% of husbands stand it. The rest seek solace from friends, another woman, a bottle, or in drugs. After a few months, they left altogether.
But this is not only the woman’s fault. What to do to the husband? First of all, help and pay attention. Listen to how your wife spent the day. Ask if she is tired? Release at least two hours with your friends, and sit with your child yourself. And you will see, the relationship will improve.
Effects
It is worth saying about the danger of postpartum depression. As already mentioned, it leads to suicide. Or even worse, a woman gets rid of a newborn. But there are complications for the baby. Mom stops breastfeeding, the emotional connection is lost. The child is under stress. As a result of this, growth and development retardation, sleep disturbance, problems with the activity of the child occur. The baby develops a mechanism of protection from the mother. He does not want to see her. All this translates into big problems in adulthood.
Interesting Facts About Depression
- Men are more likely to be depressed than women.
- Opinions about whether a woman can harm her child are divided. Studies prove that it only harms itself. But practice shows that more and more women are getting rid of their children. Depression is not a woman’s whim. These are the circumstances that influenced her life.
- Mom’s depressive mood has an incredible effect on milk quality. No wonder they say that the child absorbs everything with breast milk. Stress and nerves make it less useful, not satisfying and bitter.
- A mother suffering from postnatal depression has a little megalomania. She thinks everyone is watching her, how she behaves with the child and condemns her.
Conclusion
And as a conclusion, it is worth saying that it is necessary to visit a specialist at the first signs of depression. It is a mistake to immediately begin to overcome it yourself. It can have a chronic or latent form, which at one moment will manifest itself and lead to irreversible consequences. And remember that taking any medication should be discussed with the doctor.