Have you ever heard of the “baby blues?” Well, the technical term for that is “Postpartum depression”. It is a common syndrome to be experienced by some women after giving birth, they commonly feel sad, depressed, worried, and fatigued.
At least 80% of all mothers have experienced these feelings between one and two weeks after childbirth. It is very common and it would normally go away in a few weeks.
According to counselor Lashawn Lewis postpartum depression should not be taken lightly. This is a very serious and troublesome disorder, but with the proper treatment, it can be overcome.
Sometimes the symptoms get mistaken for something else, due to the fact that is common to feel moody or fatigued after giving birth, but postpartum depression goes beyond that, the symptoms are so severely crippling it can very well interfere with your ability to properly function.
The symptoms themselves may vary from mother to mother as well as from day to day, if you or someone close to you have experienced postpartum depression you may be familiar with these signs:
– Feeling sad and crying all the time without a reason.
– Feeling exhausted and yet not being able to sleep.
– Sleeping too much.
– Can’t stop eating.
– Can’t eat anything.
– Unexplained aching, pains, and ailments.
– Constant and uncontrollable mood swings.
– Feeling out of control.
– Not being able to remember things properly or retaining information as well as you used to.
– Lack of concentration and not being able to make the simplest of decisions.
– Losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
– Feeling somewhat disconnected from your baby and worry as to why you don’ feel joyful about being a mother.
– Every situation feels overwhelming and hopeless.
– Feeling worthless and guilty about the things passing through your mind.
– Feeling like you can’t talk about your feelings with anyone as you worry they would take you for a bad mother and would take your baby away.
– Feeling like wanting to escape from everything and everyone.
– Experiencing intrusive thoughts regarding harming you and your baby as well.
These indicators are so obvious that those close to you will perceive them as you draw away from any social interaction and you just stop acting as you used to.
The Symptoms become clearer just after a few weeks of childbirth, there are cases in which postpartum depression doesn’t because obvious after months of giving birth. The symptoms may disappear for a day or two only to resurface even stronger than before.
There are several medications prescribed by doctors to help you deal with these symptoms, sometimes the medication is prescribed individually and sometimes all together, they are:
– Mood Stabilizers.
– Anti-depressants.
– Antipsychotics.