Category: Postpartum Depression
The Good Therapy Blog
December 6th, 2010 |
The holidays are swiftly upon us, and for many, it is a season of joy, anticipation, family and friends, decorations, and memories in the making. For the woman experiencing postpartum challenges, however, the holidays can add an additional layer of stress to excavate oneself out of.
Women who are grappling with a PMAD (the clinical term: perinatal mood/anxiety disorder), or as we can gently refer to as a “postpartum challenge”…endure a complex biochemical/hormonal/ emotional upheaval that requires the strength of a warrior for resolution. Add pressures surrounding the holidays (which... Read More
November 22nd, 2010 |
It’s estimated that one in ten new mothers experiences depression after the birth of her child. But mothers whose children are born with congenital heart disease are far more likely to struggle psychologically and emotionally. Coping with a child’s health struggles is no small thing: in addition to finding a therapist to deal with depression and fear, these mothers are prone to anxiety, even after the child passes 18 months and typically is finished with medical intervention. The first few years of life set the stage for... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Pasadena Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
October 21st, 2010 |
Having a baby is a milestone occasion in many women’s lives. It is a time of profound role transition and development of reordering of priorities. For many women, motherhood brings joy, a sense of wonder, and tremendous fulfillment. And, for at least 20% of all child-bearing women, motherhood can bring about significant perinatal mood/anxiety concerns.
What is a perinatal mood/anxiety disorder (PMAD)? I would like to first underscore that in no way do I recommend labeling a woman as “disordered.” As a strengths-based therapist, I believe that empowering clients to work through challenges... Read More
September 9th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Postnatal depression is well-known for mothers, but what about fathers? New research shows that both mothers and fathers can become depressed after their child is born. While the rates for men are lower than women across the board, depression peaks for both genders at the same time: within the first year after the child’s birth. The study looked at almost 87,000 families in the U.K. over a course of 14 years, and tracked parents’ reports of depression from the time of childbirth up... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Rolling Hills Estates Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 1st, 2010 |
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is trying to raise awareness of the dire consequences that mental health care budget cuts will have on low income mothers and their children. Statistically, women are already twice as prone to depression as are men. Ten and fifteen percent of pregnant and postpartum mothers, respectively, experience depression. And poverty increases the risk of depression across the board. With those staggering figures,... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Birmingham Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 18th, 2010 |
Young parents, especially exhausted moms, relish the moments when their children fall asleep in their arms. Ask any parent of teenage children: those long-ago moments when their infant children rested against their chests, heavy with sleep, are among their most cherished memories of parenthood.
We spend a third of our lives asleep. Issues of children, parenting and sleep are perennial topics of debate and changing best practice. And few topics raise more anxiety than the issue of the family bed: when and how do parents allow their children to sleep with them? Whether infant or toddler, most... Read More
June 20th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
It may not be a factor faced by every couple undergoing marriage or family counseling, but postpartum depression is a part of many births, and for 13% of women, it doesn’t fade after the first few days. New research presents a compelling case as to the cause of postpartum depression, which was previously unknown. When the baby is born, estrogen levels plummet, but levels of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) skyrocket. MAO-A works against neurotransmitters that elevate a person’s mood. MAO-A... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Encino Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
June 1st, 2010 |
At first, you think it’s normal. Maybe it’s just lack of sleep. Or the monotony of endless feedings, laundry, and chores. It could be the isolation. The lack of time with your spouse. And the baby is just one big need machine, and she doesn’t even smile back yet. You thought it would be more rewarding, more joyful. And sometimes you even resent her and how she has changed everything. You try to accept that this is what your life is like now. You push yourself to get through it. Minutes can seem like hours when the baby cries. And hours drag on into days and weeks. Hey, what day is it anyway?... Read More
April 14th, 2010 |
Affective a significant number of new mothers, Post Natal Depression, or PND, is a psychological issue typically address with either psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both, but recently, a mother of eight and graduating doctoral student from Australia has suggested that the pressure of gender roles has a lot to do with PND, and that exploration and modification of these roles may be a straightforward and effective treatment. The woman has... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Philadelphia Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
April 6th, 2010 |
So what can you do to calm down a stress response that triggers too often or lingers too long? The good news is that it is possible to re-calibrate your stress response – to both decrease how often the stress response spikes and to calm it down more quickly.
Just like with most things in life, being able to slow down the proverbial stress train requires practice, practice and more practice. Specifically you want to practice triggering your body’s calming response, which is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. Thoughts, emotions and your physical state can all be used to increase... Read More
December 31st, 2009 |
Though the experience of giving birth and becoming a mother is a joyous one for many, some mothers may experience prolonged or chronic periods of emotional and mental difficulty following their deliveries, and a state of post-partum depression may make life less enjoyable. Hoping to help women fight the onset of this fairly common pregnancy challenge, researchers at the University of Wisconsin have suggested that a heightened intake of Omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy can help avoid symptoms, and... Read More
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Naperville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
December 11th, 2009 |
After even the most joyous of pregnancies, many women experience mental health difficulties know as post-partum depression –thoughts and feelings of a often deeply negative nature that can have a serious impact on overall mood and outlook. But sometimes, post-partum depression affects the fathers of newborn children, an occurrence that is rarely discussed in the mental health community. But recently, a doctor in South Carolina has spoken out about... Read More
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Tucson Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 4th, 2009 |
Working through feelings of depression can be a significant challenge at any point of life, but women who become pregnant may experience additional difficulty in the face of numerous restrictions regarding traditional treatment. As a number of psychiatric medications indicated for feelings of depression are not recommended for use during pregnancy, suggests a recently released review of published literature on the topic, psychotherapy... Read More
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Louisville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
May 23rd, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Update
The prevalence of post-partum depression, or PPD, may seem out of place in a society that seems to unabashedly celebrate the processes of giving birth and becoming a mother. Yet many women experience PPD, which is widely recognized as having an adverse effect on infants as well as the relationship between a mother and her child. With this potential for long-term consequences in family relations in mind, a team of researchers with... Read More
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Tucson Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
