Treatment Of Postpartum Depression

There is an old saying that women’s mood changes it with the moon. The truth is during the fertile time of a women life her moods changes for a variety of reasons like menstrual cycle, lack of sleep, poor nutrition and little exercise. This moods swings need to get special attention when they interrupt their lifestyle, also known as depression.

Marita Schauch, ND says: “Depression involves the body, mood, and thoughts, and it affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about life. It’s also a gender thing: women in North America are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Approximately 12 million women in the U.S. experience clinical depression each year. It occurs most frequently in women aged 25 to 44.” (41)

Additionally, in the biggest even in women’s life when they welcome motherhood “Postpartum depression (PPD) affects 1.3 million mothers each year.” (Schauch 46)

Postpartum’ refers to ‘after birth’ and this form of depression can occur after any and all births, having a new baby can be demanding and draining. Nevertheless, women with post-partum depression feels unease, sadness, and don’t feel a bond with the newborn baby.

Post-partum depression is often discussed yet rarely understood, women are at risk suffering in silence with feelings of unimportance, shame or guiltiness for not being able to feel like a good mother. The hardest part is asking for help or getting a good treatment.

Psychologist professor Katherine Wisner share the case of Alexis joy D ’Achille in her article – Prenatal Care Should Include Mental Health Service- saying:

“When Alexis Joy D ‘Achille went to a physician to talk about depression after and during her pregnancy, the doctor evaluated her and remarked to her husband that “she is too pretty to kill herself…

Soon after—and six weeks after giving birth to a daughter—Alexis took her own life in 2013. It’s a story that her husband, Steven D ‘Achille, told during his keynote address at November’s annual conference of the Perinatal Mental Health Society—and a story that underscores just how much work health care providers need to do to understand postpartum depression and suicide. After all, you can’t tell how depressed someone is by looking any more than you can check blood pressure by sight…”

Is an incredible calamity that all sings of depression is taking so lightly by the person with the authority and resources to help a person suffering with any type of depression but specifically to post-partum depression when the mother and the baby/kids are at risk.