Giving birth to a child is a wonderful experience. It feels like there has been an extension of you. But, many times it leads to a depressive phase. Many doctors and psychologists overlook it as ‘baby blues’. People expect the mothers to be happy about the experience. Thus, it puts an external pressure on the mother to hide her “bad” emotions.
Hiding ones’ emotions is a very difficult task to do. In between these emotions, the mother is then forced to hide her sadness. Finally, the hidden sadness leads to depression.
Post-partum depression usually occurs during the first year of childbirth. There are many reasons which can cause depression. Which include the history of the person, complications in childbirth or stress during or after pregnancy.
Below are few symptoms of Post-Partum Depression:
Unable to Take Care:
After a childbirth, it is very important for a mother to take care of herself. Along with her, it is also important for her to take care of the baby. But, a person suffering from post-partum depression is unable to take care of the baby or herself.
Fears:
When a mother suffers from this kind of depression, an unwanted extreme fear emerges. She is constantly anxious about taking care of the baby. The fear revolves around she is not a good mother. Thus, the fear then starts causing her extreme levels of anxiety.
Mood Swings:
A woman will suffer from certain levels of mood swings after she has given birth. But, in this case, the mood swings are extreme. They turn from extreme rage to extreme sadness. Sometimes the rage is even directed towards the child.
Lack of Interest:
Usually, a new mother will have different kinds of interest. But, in this, the mother loses her interest in all her daily activities. She even loses her interest in the things she liked to do. Because of her sadness, she is unable to actually enjoy the activities she liked.
Guilt:
Guilt and sadness go hand in hand. The mother starts feeling guilty about everything. Thoughts like, “I am a bad mother”, “Why do I have to bear the child?” etc. takes over. Which then result in extreme guilt, where the mother is drenched in them. Hence, it starts a vicious cycle of guilt and sadness.
Suicidal Thoughts:
The mother starts having suicidal thoughts. She starts believing that the baby would be better off without her. Because she is a bad mother, the baby doesn’t deserve her. Hence, thoughts of suicide start occurring.
Depression and anxiety can happen to anyone. Hence, if you or someone you know is suffering from depression then please visit a professional immediately.
