Postpartum Depression

mariafontanez@news904

“Aisha N. Postpartum Depression Awareness Foundation” is a long name for a foundation that represents the life of a young woman with many extraordinary qualities lost to a disease, that to this day, is considered taboo, not recognized nor taken seriously in our society. When we faced the loss of our loved one as a family, we didn’t even know what postpartum depression was, let alone recognized that some of us had already suffered from it. How do you fight a disease you don’t know? How do you save the life of a loved one who fears being perceived as a “bad” mother while remaining silent, enduring, and hiding her suffering? That is the reason for the existence of the Foundation whose objective is to raise awareness about the disorder suffered by more than 3 million women a year in the United States.

Disorder

Postpartum depression, also known as perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, affects women of any age, race, socioeconomic status, cultural or educational level. This disease has many stigmas that make women not want to talk about it, since sometimes it minimizes and ridicules the feeling of impotence, discouragement, decay and sadness that the person feels with comments such as: “Woman, why do you cry so much?… You are a “cry baby”!… What a “drama queen”!… “But what a filthy woman, why don’t you get up and clean the house, what do you do all day?… “What, don’t you want to see your baby? But what a bad mother you are!”… “How is it possible that you don’t want to be with me more? Don’t you love me anymore?”…etc. These are just a few of the many foolish comments that new mothers suffering from postpartum depression must put up with. People mistakenly think that when giving birth to a baby, life automatically becomes a “fairytale”, but this perception is far from reality, increasing the chances of suffering from postpartum depression if during pregnancy there were situations that caused sadness or anxiety in the future mother’s life.

SYMPTOMS THAT ALLOW YOU TO IDENTIFY THE POSSIBILITY OF SUFFERING FROM THE DISORDER:

1. Constant and sometimes extreme moods of sadness, with a feeling of “emptiness ” and anxiety
2. Ongoing irritability
3. Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies, activities, or participating in events, especially with loved ones
4. Guilty, helplessness, hopelessness, or worthlessness feelings
5. Fatigue or unusual decrease in energy
6. Unusual appetite, weight gain or loss
7. Difficulty sleeping
8. Bodily aches or pains, constant headache, cramps, physical problems without a medical diagnosis or that, even when diagnosed, do not improve, or are alleviated with treatment
9. Problems bonding with the newborn
10. Constant doubts about the ability to care for your baby
11. Thoughts of suicide, death, or harming your baby

CAUSE OF DISORDER

What are the causes of this disorder? No single cause can be determined as there are many

factors that need to be taken into consideration: genetic, environmental, social. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the factors that contribute to postpartum depression are: the stress that could arise from work, physical and emotional demands that come with a pregnancy. Also, traumatic events that have been or are being faced, hormonal changes that occur during and after pregnancy and the worst reason is the loss of the fetus due to miscarriage or stillbirth. Women who are at greater risk to have such disorders are those who have a personal or family history of depression, bipolar disorder, or those who have suffered from postpartum depression during a previous pregnancy.

How is it solved?

The most important and essential thing to fight against this disorder is early detection, since in most cases, the symptoms begin during pregnancy and can last for more than 2 years. It is recommended that you talk to your doctor openly and sincerely since it is important that the mother is evaluated every trimester to see the progress of the pregnancy considering the medical history and the possible existence of traumatic situations or the possibility of suffering from depression in the past. Even after giving birth, the evaluation during the subsequent six months after having the baby is important, since the hormones in women tend to have an extreme drop, making it impossible to control emotions, thoughts, and actions. The consequences of not being evaluated, can bring lethal results for both the mother and the baby and her other children due to the possibility of the mental condition escalating and turning into psychosis, in which case the intervention of a psychiatrist is required to medicate the mother and treat possible hallucinations, extreme feelings, suicidal thoughts, paranoia and mental confusion.

SPEAK UP, SEEK HELP!

If you or a family member identifies that the person has at least 4 of symptoms listed above, it is recommended that you seek medical evaluation immediately. If you identify the symptoms, seek help from a mental health professional who can evaluate, identify the causes and establish the personalized treatment that you should follow to improve your and your family quality of life. There’s no reason to live with feelings of sadness during the period of life that should be the happiest for a woman and her entire family!

Contact us, we can guide you!

If you want to contact us, we are on all social media…

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AishaNPPDAwareness

Twitter:

@anppdawareness

Instagram:

aishanerisppdawareness

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishanppdawareness/

Website:

https://aishanerisppdaware.wixsite.com/help

Email address:

aishanerisppdawareness@gmail.com

We are located at: 3208 E. Colonial Drive, #125, Orlando, Florida 32803

Phone: (407) 541-9611.