By Ma. Yvette Heart Calimlim
Have you experience feeling alone after giving birth? Having a crying episodes, anxiety and easily get irritable? You might have a symptoms of Postpartum depression or also known as postnatal depression, a kind of clinical depression which affect both sexes after giving birth. After giving birth, you will feel all the happiness and excitement. Some studies explained that some point of this emotional helplessness is just natural and happens after childbirth which is to believe 80% of new mother experience this sensitive/emotional helplessness.
Symptoms of Post Natal Depression:
- You feel worried and uneasy.
- Loss of interest on all the activities that you love doing.
- You feel angry most of the time. Everything annoys you and you have no patience at all.
- Feeling exhausted that you can’t finish all of the things you started.
- Crying episodes happen when there’s no reason for crying.
- Loss of concentration in everything that you do
- Physical problems like headaches, muscle pain, backaches and even stomachaches.
- Feeling of helplessness that you are a failure.
- Having thoughts of leaving your family behind.
If you feel those things listed above, kindly seek advice from a psychological professional. You might be hiding all these things for a long time, though this happens early after child birth. But it is better to seek help because it will likely be just ignored and arise continuously.
What are the treatments for Post Natal Depression?
- Look for support or counselling by joining community who focuses on this kind of depression. This really helps because you’ll get advices and speak with other people who are also dealing with it.
- Antidepressants which is often prescribed for Post Natal Depression and for those who suffer PND moderately and severe. It might not take an effect immediately and you should give it a time.
- Psychological therapies. There are different therapies to take depends on the severity of your depression. Speak with professional that they can also give you an initial assessment so to address your concern properly. This one is for those who suffer mild to moderate PND.
If you are experiencing Post Natal Depression, psychological and emotional support will really help you cope because it will give you chance for yourself, to think, to have energy and focus on yourself. Don’t let it behind. Taking and looking at your child or children takes a lot of effort and hard work. It’s getting tougher everyday especially if you have PND.
You can do something to improve these symptoms and help you deal with it.
- Don’t try to be a Super Mom. Ask physical support from others like your family member by doing the chores for you like cooking, and house cleaning.
- Give time for yourself. Find things that can make you enjoy and you’ll feel relaxed like listening to music, reading your favored book, give yourself warm bath, go to spa for a whole body massage and skin care.
- Take time to rest. They say if your child falls asleep, you grab that time to nap as well. For some, it doesn’t work due to heavy household chores but for most it is helpful.
- Exercise or have Zumba. All you need is a dance music to follow and listen to the rhythm. It will not just make you healthy but this has been proven to boost people’s mood. Do this regularly.
- Eat a healthy and balanced meals. If you’re hungry the more, you get easily irritated.
- Talk to your partner and loved ones. Let them know what and how you feel. They can surely support you.
Source of information: www.Babycenter.com, www.postpartumprogress.com
