Post-natal Depression

What is Post-natal Depression?
Symptoms of post-natal depression
How common is post-natal depression?
What causes post-natal depression?
Treatment for post-natal depression
How Hypno-psychotherapy can help
Pre-natal depression
Treatment for pre-natal depression
Tips for recovering from post-natal depression

What is Post-natal Depression?

Post-natal depression is the term for a number of uncomfortable feelings or symptoms you can suffer from following the birth of a baby. It can be distressing to feel like this when you have looked forward to your baby and you may also feel guilty about how you feel or how you are feeling or acting towards your baby.

Symptoms of post-natal depression

You may feel some or all of these:

Unhappy, low or wretched most or all of the time. Certain times of the day you may feel worse- like mornings or evenings.
Despair or loss of hope. You may even feel that life is not worth living.
Tiredness to the point of exhaustion or feeling physically ill
Irritable
Sleeplessness: not being able to sleep when you get to bed, or waking early.
Your appetite may be affected: either not feeling hungry or eating for comfort
Inability to enjoy anything: you may feel you lose all interest and no longer find enjoyment in anything - especially sex or intimacy.
You may feel unable to cope - especially with looking after your baby
You may feel afraid to be alone with your baby; that you will not be able to cope with his/her cries or screams, that your baby might be harmed, or you may feel numb and detached and unable to feel love for your baby.
You may feel clingy and not want to be left alone
You may be worried about your health or your baby's health.

How common is it?

Post-natal depression affects about 1 in 7 women and may be due to stress caused by physical, hormonal and social changes following childbirth, a negative or traumatic experience of childbirth and high social expectations and beliefs about maternity and childrearing. Whilst childbirth can be a joyous, magical, even spiritual experience for women, many women's experience of pregnancy and childbirth may be different - even disappointing or traumatic - and may leave a new mum feeling conflicted, disappointed, isolated, guilty or that there's something wrong with her and that she's failed as a new mum. Many women also experience anxiety or overwhelm from the demands of a new baby. Post-natal Depression is most likely to develop within the first 5 weeks after birth and women suffering post-natal or post-partum depression have an increased risk with subsequent births.

What causes post-natal depression?

Not enough is known about post-natal depression to be sure. However there are risk factors identified with the condition:
You are more likely to suffer PND if:

You've had depression (or PND) before
You have inadequate support from a partner
Your baby is premature or sick
You experience several ' stressors' in a short time period: eg: housing or money problems, moving home, bereavement, redundancy etc.
If you lost your own mother as a child

It is also known that post-natal depression may be triggered, in part, by:

Feelings around a traumatic, disappointing or exhausting childbirth experience
Undue anxiety, stress or concerns around caring for a newborn
Unexpected or unpleasant emotions following childbirth: sadness, disappointment, guilt, anger, frustration, feeling overwhelmed.
Difficulty adjusting to lifestyle and psycho-emotional changes following childbirth

Treatment for post-natal depression

Treatment for post-natal depression may involve either CBT, Psychotherapy/Counselling or medication or a combination of both. Studies show that medication and CBT Psychotherapy/Counselling are equally effective for depression. Expert guidelines caution however that severe depression should always be treated with medication.

How Hypno-Psychotherapy can help

According to Yapko's review on hypnosis and psychotherapy for depression: his review states "there is ample evidence that psychotherapy for depression can be highly effective" especially with the added use of hypnosis. He also notes:

"There is growing empirical support for the use of hypnosis. Research suggests that hypnosis is a measure linked to positive changes in depressive patients, encouraging a sense of personal empowerment whilst combating depressive symptoms"
"Hypnosis is also shown to be useful in treating pain, anxiety, and numerous other physical and psychological problems often associated with depression."

Clinical trials also show CBT Psychotherapy/Counselling to be as effective in treating depression as anti-depressant medication.

To find out more about natural, psychological treatments for depression and to discuss your situation Contact Persephone now for your free consultation.

Pre-natal depression

Whilst there is increased awareness of the problem of post-natal depression there is also a growing awareness of the problem of pre-natal depression. It is thought that 10-20% of women suffer from pre-natal depression and in a study assessing mood and pregnancy the "highest point" for depressed feelings was in fact at before the birth - at 32 weeks - rather than 8 weeks after birth. Pre-natal depression may therefore go unnoticed due to a lack of awareness and assessment. Symptoms include sadness, anxiety and panic. Those women considered most vulnerable are those who have inadequate support during pregnancy. It is possible that there may also be a vulnerability to extremes of hormonal changes for women due to genetic factors thought there is some considerable disagreement as to whether vulnerability to stress/anxiety/depression is due to genetic or environmental factors - previous stressful experiences, adverse childhood upbringing, trauma etc.

Treatment for pre-natal depression

Whilst expert guidelines state severe depression should be treated with anti-depressants, using hypno-psychotherapy (involving CBT, Hypnosis and Counselling) to treat mild or moderate depression or anxiety/depression may enable the condition to be effectively treated whilst offering extra protection to your unborn baby particularly as recent studies have raised some concerns about the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy. For women suffering mild to moderate depression who are concerned about potential risks to their unborn baby CBT/counselling may therefore offer an effective, safer alternative to drug therapy. Herbal or homoeopathic remedies may also be helpful: some clinical studies show that a herbal remedy, St John's Wort, is as effective as anti-depressants in the treatment of depression.
NB: Herbal and homeopathic remedies should not be taken during pregnancy except when in consultation with a fully qualified herbalist or homeopath.

Disclaimer

NB: this is not intended as medical advice. If you think you are suffering from depression you should see your GP for medical assessment and to discuss treatments options including the benefits and risks of pharmacological therapy. Whilst Hypnotherapy/CBT psychotherapy are clinically recommended options for depression and can be used both alternatively to or alongside anti-depressant treatment this information should not be used as an alternative to seeking medical advice.

See Article on Effectiveness of psychotherapy and hypnosis for depression