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Having a baby is a life-changing event. While the new baby does bring joy, some parents suffer from severe depression and mood swings. Postpartum depression is a common mental health disorder and many mothers experience it. It can make it quite hard to care for your baby. Without treatment, this disorder can last for months or even years. However, early treatment with medication and counseling has shown to help those struggling with PPD overcome it.

Major Causes

While there is no exact trigger for this condition, there are some possible causes and risk factors:

• A stressful experience around the time of birth like violence, job loss, or grief
• A lack of support from your partner, family members, or friends
• Financial issues during pregnancy
• Major life changes like moving to a different city or losing your job
• Hormonal changes occur during birth, like low thyroid levels and fluctuation in estrogen and progesterone.
• History of mental health disorders
• Physical and verbal abuse by your partner
• Complicated pregnancy can be traumatizing both on the body and mind
• Family history of depression
• Mixed feelings about the pregnancy
• If you have suffered from this disease during an earlier pregnancy
• Breastfeeding difficulties
• You have gone through multiple deliveries
• The baby suffers from health conditions
• History of sexual abuse

Common Signs

Key signs and symptoms of PPD include:

• Depressed mood or severe mood swings
• Excessive crying
• Having trouble bonding with your baby
• Social withdrawal
• Change in appetite like eating too much or too little
• Inability to sleep (insomnia)
• Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
• Reduced interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• Intense irritability
• Fear that you're not a good mother
• Hopelessness
• Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt, etc.
• Confusion and inability to concentrate
• Restlessness
• Severe anxiety and panic attacks
• Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

If you have been facing some or all of the signs mentioned above, you may have this condition. There are many tips and treatments available for it. Keep reading to find out some of them.

The Different Types

This illness is grouped into three types. Although the symptoms are similar, their severity and duration differ. The best method to combat it is to recognize the symptoms and seek treatment as soon as possible. Some parents might not seek therapy because they believe it is simply baby blues that will pass. The inability to distinguish between different types of postpartum depressive disorder can be detrimental. As a result, you should be aware of the symptoms of each form of postpartum mood illness.

Baby Blues

Baby blues are short periods of mood swings. Irritability, anxiety, and sadness usually occur due to sudden hormonal changes in the body after giving birth. The body adjusts its hormone levels to help the mother recover, shrink the uterus to normal size, promote lactation, and so on.

It is common for new mothers to face symptoms of postpartum depression. Both lack of sleep and postpartum hormonal adjustment cause symptoms of baby blues. The baby blues usually go away within a couple of weeks after giving birth. Here are the symptoms of baby blues:

• Feeling teary or unexpectedly sobbing over little triggers
• Exhibiting mood swings or being particularly unpleasant
• Feeling detached or unbonded to your child
• You miss aspects of your previous life, such as the flexibility to socialize with friends.
• Being concerned about your baby's health and safety
• Feeling fatigued, exhausted, or having insomnia
• Having difficulty making simple decisions or thinking clearly

PPD

While baby blues go away in a couple of weeks, a person with this condition will not see any improvement in their mood. It is much more severe and lasts longer, affecting about 1 in 7 new parents. If not treated on time, it can last more than three years. It can make you feel disconnected from the baby. You may think that you don't love your baby and feel disinterested in taking care of them.

Psychosis

One of the most advanced stages of postpartum depression is thoughts of suicide or thoughts of hurting your baby. This stage is called postpartum psychosis, a rare and dangerous mental illness that requires immediate medical attention.

Women who have bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder have a higher risk of postpartum psychosis. The risk of suicide rises significantly for a year or longer after your delivery. However, the psychotic state is only temporary. Look out for these symptoms of postpartum psychosis:

• Seeing or hearing things that aren't there
• Feeling confused all the time
• Having rapid mood swings within several minutes. For example, crying hysterically, then laughing a lot, followed by extreme sadness.
• Trying to hurt yourself or your baby.
• Paranoia (thinking that everyone wants to harm you)
• Restlessness
• Mania

Treatment of postpartum psychosis will usually include hospitalization, psychotherapy, and medication.

Can Fathers Have Postpartum Depression?

Yes, fathers also suffer from this exhausting and mind-numbing disorder. Even though they have not given birth, their lives have also changed dramatically in a short period of time. They, too, have to bear the responsibility of another human being and will have to change their lifestyle for the baby.

Nowadays, many fathers become stay-at-home dads, and caring for their children is their full-time job. Due to this, they are also at risk of developing this mental health disorder.

How to Recover From Your Symptoms

If you think you have symptoms of PPD, contact your doctor immediately. The earlier you start treatment, the better the prognosis. Treatment may include medication, therapy, or hospitalization, depending on the type and severity of your postpartum depressive disorder.

Medications

The most common types of medication for this disorder are antidepressants such as SSRIs and atypical antidepressants. These drugs can help relieve symptoms of depression, but they take time, typically 6 to 8 weeks, to start working fully.

In some cases, you may need to try a few medications before finding one that works and has manageable side effects. Any medication you take might interfere with your breast milk if you're breastfeeding. However, most antidepressants can be used during breastfeeding with little risk of side effects for your baby.

For postpartum psychosis, doctors may use a combination of medications such as antipsychotic medications, mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines to control symptoms.

If the medication does not work, they may try electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). ECT is a process in which tiny electrical shocks are transmitted through the brain, causing a short seizure. ECT appears to create changes in brain chemistry that can alleviate the symptoms of psychosis and depression.

Psychotherapy

Discussing your worries with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional is beneficial. According to research, a type of therapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can considerably alleviate the symptoms. You can learn ways to manage your emotions better, solve problems, create realistic objectives, and respond to situations constructively through counseling.

Hormone Therapy

During pregnancy, levels of estrogen and progesterone are quite high, but they drop after delivery. These sudden changes in hormone levels may lead to depression. Thyroid hormone levels also drop after delivery. Therefore, hormone replacement therapy may help manage the symptoms to some extent.

Self Care, exercise, and a healthy diet

If you are affected by this condition, you may feel hopeless about your future. You may think you won't ever get free time for yourself. Therefore, it's important to take some time for yourself and indulge in activities you like. Even 30 minutes of self-care can be extremely helpful. So, go out for a walk, do your skincare routine, listen to your favorite songs, exercise, etc. Do something just for yourself.

In general, exercise and a healthy diet can help combat depression and anxiety.

Find Help From a Licensed Therapist Who's Right For You

One of the most effective treatments for postpartum depression is therapy. If you have not yet been diagnosed but believe you may have it, a therapist can help. However, choosing the proper therapist is the first hurdle to overcome before treating depression. Researchers discovered that your relationship with your therapist likely impacts your growth significantly. Therefore, in your search for the ideal therapist, it is critical to do thorough research, ask questions, and pay attention to your replies.

Schedule a Virtual Appointment with a Counsellor Today

If you think you are suffering from postpartum depression, you can find a compassionate therapist at DocVita. We understand that it would be difficult to go out of the house for counseling with a baby at home. Book an instant online therapy session with a professional therapist who has years of experience, and get counseling from the comfort of your home. Explore several therapists and select the one who is best for you. Get ready to feel better with Docvita.