They say Moms are prone to such after giving birth. It’s actually surprising that some Moms could feel sad after waiting for so long for their baby to come; feelings of great joy is expected but depression? How come?
This doesn’t mean that some Moms (like me, apparently) are getting crazy though. Medical books state that this is normal and that 80% of all women after birth experience this. Others may have “mild” feelings and thus they call such feelings as “baby blues”. Some though experience stronger and overwhelming emotions that may last for several months and even more than a year (now that’s scary!).
They say a Mom experiences Postpartum Distress Syndrome (depression) when these symptoms are seen: crying for no apparent reason, sudden exhaustion, unreasonable irritability, lack of confidence, anxiety attacks, lack of feelings/emotions for the baby, impatience, oversensitivity and restlessness. Oh my! I just described a monster! That’s a clearly depressed person alright!
Hmmm… This post reminds me of an article I read about depression (As a depressed person for years, I do know a lot of articles about it, hahaha!). A Dr Daniel Amen wrote this article and even published this in his website. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. That is apparently the title of the book he authored wherein he explained the process of optimizing one’s brain to achieve one’s fullest potential. But I don’t think this formula can be applied to postpartum depression… or maybe I’m wrong.
There are actually many ways to deal with this problem, but it all boils down to emotional support. Yes, a support network is but important during these crucial times. Family members and friends can definitely help alleviate the feelings of depression. Though medication (tranquilizers and anti-depressants) may be necessary in some cases, emotional support is still the best way to deal with such.
The question now is that am I depressed? I guess I am. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely elated with my little bundle of joy but well there are some factors that contributed to my depression. Financial hurdles are there and well there are actually more. But I know I’ll survive this. I’ve always been a strong person right? (I hope so).