There are a couple of research opportunties we were made aware of recently. Click below for more information.
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Postpartum depression is defined as the emotional and physical reactions occurring any time within the first year after the birth of a baby and is characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, hopelessness, and discouragement.
The symptoms of postpartum depression, or PPD, include:
Baby Blues (Not considered a disorder) - Symptoms are mild and usually go away within 2 weeks and includes:- Mood instability
- Weepiness
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Lack of concentration
- Feelings of dependency
- Excessive worry or anxiety
- Irritability or short temper
- Feeling overwhelmed, difficulty making decisions
- Sad mood, feelings of guilt, phobias
- Hopelessness
- Sleep problems (often the woman cannot sleep or sleeps too much), fatigue
- Physical symptoms or complaints without apparent physical cause
- Discomfort around the baby or a lack of feeling toward the baby
- Loss of focus and concentration (may miss appointments, for example)
- Loss of interest or pleasure, lower sex drive
- Changes in appetite; significant weight loss or gain
- Suicidal thoughts
- Intrusive, repetitive, and persistent thoughts or mental pictures
- Thoughts often are about hurting or killing the baby not to be confused with psychotic thoughts
- Tremendous sense of horror and disgust about these thoughts (ego-alien)
- Thoughts may be accompanied by behaviors to reduce the anxiety (for example, hiding knives)
- Counting, checking, cleaning or other repetitive behaviors
- Suicidal thoughts
- Episodes of extreme anxiety
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, sensations of choking or smothering, dizziness
- Hot or cold flashes, trembling, rapid heart beat, numbness or tingling sensations
- Restlessness, agitation, or irritability
- During attack the woman may fear she is going crazy, dying or losing control
- Panic attack may wake her up
- Often no identifiable trigger for panic
- Excessive worry or fears (including fear of more panic attacks)
- Visual or auditory hallucinations [not the same as intrusive thoughts]
- Delusional thinking (for example, about infant’s death, denial of birth, or need to kill baby)
- Delirium and/or mania
- Suicidal thoughts
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Recurrent nightmares
- Extreme anxiety
- Reliving past traumatic events (for example, sexual, physical, emotional, and childbirth)
Used with permission from “Beyond the Blues” 2006 issue by Shoshana S. Bennett, Ph.D. and Pec Indman, Ed.D., MFT published by Moodswings Press.