If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I've struggled with post-partum depression for the past three years. I'm finally in a place where I can tell my story - the whole, unadulterated story. I've given my readers fragments of the tale throughout my blogging history, the real truth is probably different from what you might expect. And I'm not just telling my story. I'm also providing information with the hope that I might be able to reach another mother who feels lost and hopeless.
I've struggled with the thought of writing this post for a long time. My first draft was started one year ago today, actually. So much has changed in that year. I think the reason I wasn't able to make any progress before now was because I wasn't ready to face the potential implications of my words. I also now know that my story was nowhere near its climax a year ago.
When I finally got it all on (virtual) paper, it was L-O-N-G. In the interest of your attention spans, I've broken this up into six parts that I'll be posting over the next couple of weeks. My only request is that you try to be gentle with me. My soul is still a little tender.
Also, because it hurts my researcher’s heart to write something that isn’t fully annotated and footnoted, I want to let you know that I’ve linked to every internet source I referenced while writing this. If you want some more information on my sources or methodology, or just need a sympathetic ear, shoot me an e-mail at notthatpregnant at gmail dot com, and we can talk.
Here goes nothing...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Post-partum depression. I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject and I’m sure as hell not a medical professional whose advice you should follow, but I’ve lived it. I figure that gives me just enough credibility to blog about it, yes?
Let’s start with some background. Post-partum depression (PPD) is a disorder of depressive symptoms that affects new mothers, and is thought to be caused by the rapid, crazy hormonal changes a woman goes through immediately following birth. PPD can range from the “baby blues” (a brief period of mood swings and crying spells) to full-on psychosis (experiencing delusions and/or hallucinations). It is thought to occur in approximately 10 percent of new mothers, but is likely more prevalent, due to under-reporting of symptoms by moms and under-diagnosis by healthcare providers.
The symptoms of PPD are the same as those of major depressive disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Addition, Text Revision (DSM) – the reference manual used by mental health professionals to identify and diagnose mental disorders – requires a showing of at least five of the following symptoms lasting for a minimum of two weeks to diagnose a person as “depressed”:
And guess what? If you are suffering from PPD, it’s not the end of the world. You are not a bad mother. You are not weak. You are not a failure. I want you to go back and reread the last four sentences. Now I want you to believe them. I know from experience just how difficult it is to believe those things about yourself when you’re in the midst of the PPD quagmire, but I want you to try anyway. It’s important that you stop hating on yourself or you’ll never really feel better.
Coming up - Part II: Getting help
I've struggled with the thought of writing this post for a long time. My first draft was started one year ago today, actually. So much has changed in that year. I think the reason I wasn't able to make any progress before now was because I wasn't ready to face the potential implications of my words. I also now know that my story was nowhere near its climax a year ago.
When I finally got it all on (virtual) paper, it was L-O-N-G. In the interest of your attention spans, I've broken this up into six parts that I'll be posting over the next couple of weeks. My only request is that you try to be gentle with me. My soul is still a little tender.
Also, because it hurts my researcher’s heart to write something that isn’t fully annotated and footnoted, I want to let you know that I’ve linked to every internet source I referenced while writing this. If you want some more information on my sources or methodology, or just need a sympathetic ear, shoot me an e-mail at notthatpregnant at gmail dot com, and we can talk.
Here goes nothing...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Post-partum depression. I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject and I’m sure as hell not a medical professional whose advice you should follow, but I’ve lived it. I figure that gives me just enough credibility to blog about it, yes?
Let’s start with some background. Post-partum depression (PPD) is a disorder of depressive symptoms that affects new mothers, and is thought to be caused by the rapid, crazy hormonal changes a woman goes through immediately following birth. PPD can range from the “baby blues” (a brief period of mood swings and crying spells) to full-on psychosis (experiencing delusions and/or hallucinations). It is thought to occur in approximately 10 percent of new mothers, but is likely more prevalent, due to under-reporting of symptoms by moms and under-diagnosis by healthcare providers.
The symptoms of PPD are the same as those of major depressive disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Addition, Text Revision (DSM) – the reference manual used by mental health professionals to identify and diagnose mental disorders – requires a showing of at least five of the following symptoms lasting for a minimum of two weeks to diagnose a person as “depressed”:
- Depressed mood (feelings of sadness or emptiness)
- Reduced interest in enjoyable activities
- Sleeping too much or not enough
- Loss of energy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased or decreased appetite or weight loss or gain
- Restlessness, agitation, or noticeable slowing of movement/activity
- Feelings of excessive guilt or worthlessness
- Thoughts of suicide
And guess what? If you are suffering from PPD, it’s not the end of the world. You are not a bad mother. You are not weak. You are not a failure. I want you to go back and reread the last four sentences. Now I want you to believe them. I know from experience just how difficult it is to believe those things about yourself when you’re in the midst of the PPD quagmire, but I want you to try anyway. It’s important that you stop hating on yourself or you’ll never really feel better.
Coming up - Part II: Getting help
No comments:
Post a Comment