Have you heard of postpartum depression? Do you know anyone that struggled with postpartum depression? Unfortunately, the media, movies, and TV news stories do not accurately portray postpartum depression. Therefore, most people mistakenly believe that postpartum depression looks like a new mother, experiencing delusions or hallucinations, and at-risk of harming herself or her baby.
PMADs is an acronym for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. What are those?
PMADs are related to a woman’s mood and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy or up to one year postpartum. Depression and anxiety affect up to 1 in 5 women new or expectant mothers, which makes PMADs the #1 complication of childbirth!
Women of every culture, age, income level, and race can develop PMADs. A few risk factors include having a history of depression or anxiety, financial strain, inadequate support network, unstable housing, or an unplanned pregnancy.
PMADs are treatable!
Doing nothing will not help, but if you take the first step then things will begin to change!
Depression During Pregnancy/Postpartum
A woman with “Depression During Pregnancy/Postpartum” might experience feelings of anger, sadness, irritability, guilt, lack of interest in the baby, changes in eating and sleeping habits, trouble concentrating, thoughts of hopelessness and sometimes even thoughts of harming the baby or herself. Contact us to learn more about “Depression During Pregnancy/Postpartum,” including symptoms and treatment options.
Anxiety During Pregnancy/Postpartum
A woman with “Anxiety During Pregnancy/Postpartum” may experience extreme worries and fears, often over the health and safety of the baby. Some women have panic attacks and might feel shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, a feeling of losing control, and numbness and tingling. Contact us to learn more about “Anxiety During Pregnancy/Postpartum,” including symptoms and treatment options.
Pregnancy/Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Women with “Pregnancy/Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” can have repetitive, upsetting and unwanted thoughts or mental images (obsessions), and sometimes they need to do certain things over and over (compulsions) to reduce the anxiety caused by those thoughts. These moms find these thoughts very scary and unusual and are very unlikely to ever act on them. Contact us to learn more about “Pregnancy/Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,” including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is often caused by a traumatic or frightening childbirth or past trauma, and symptoms may include flashbacks of the trauma with feelings of anxiety and the need to avoid things related to that event. Contact us to learn more about PTSD, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.
Postpartum Psychosis (PPP)
PPP sufferers sometimes see and hear voices or images that others can’t, called hallucinations. They may believe things that aren’t true and distrust those around them. They may also have periods of confusion and memory loss, and seem manic. This severe condition is dangerous so it is important to seek help immediately. Contact us to learn more about PPP, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.
