Adjusting to your newborn: You should read this….
Dr Vijay Roach, Sydney obstetrician and Chairman of the Gidget Foundation and Catherine Knox, CEO of the Gidget Foundation share some key information on perinatal anxiety and depression:
Most women and their partners undergo significant adjustments during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby.
Mothers in particular need to redefine their roles, and many women do experience feelings of grief and loss which at times can be overwhelming. It is normal to feel a range of emotions while navigating through this period of transition, and most couples do manage the emotional and physical stresses and the ups and downs of life with a new baby.
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression affects approximately 20 per cent of women who give birth in Australia - around 50,000 women each year, and 10 per cent of their partners. Left untreated, the impact on the mother, her child and other family members can be profound. Perinatal Anxiety and Depression is a recognised medical condition, the result of biological, psychological and social factors.
Mothers suffering from postnatal depression will recover more effectively if the father is involved in care for the children (1)
There are a number of factors, which can make a perinatal mood disturbance more likely:
- Maternal age less than 18 years old or older than 35 years old
- Difficult birth
- Lack of partner or other support
- Perfectionist personality
- Recent bereavement
- Infertility or other obstetric difficulties
- Unwanted or unplanned pregnancy
- Past psychological problems or mental illness in family
- Poor relationship with own mother
- Genetic predisposition
- Childhood trauma
Women with a perinatal mood disorder may experience some of the following:
- Inability to rest even when your baby is sleeping
- Unable to enjoy activities you used to partake in prior to the baby’s birth
- Inability to concentrate or make decisions or get things done
- Physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, constant headaches, sweaty hands, loss of appetite
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Feeling that everyone including the baby would be better off without you
- Feeling out of control, or fear of going crazy
- Fear that something bad may happen to your baby
- Constant feelings of guilt or shame
- A continued feeling of numbness
- Feeling there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel/feeling trapped
When to seek professional Help:
If you …
- are unable to handle the intensity of what you are feeling or the physical sensations
- continue to feel numb or overly stressed
- feel like your emotions are not returning to ‘normal’
- have disturbed sleeping and eating patterns
- have no person or group with whom you can share your feelings and experiences
- find relationships with friends and family are suffering
It is important to share your feelings with someone you trust. This is a men’s issue too and there are many sources of support and advice.
Getting help:
Contact the Gidget Foundation at www.gidgetfoundation.com.au
The Gidget Foundation exists to promote awareness of Perinatal Anxiety and Depression amongst women and their families, their health providers and the wider community are there to ensure that women in need receive timely, appropriate and supportive care.
If you are experiencing symptoms of Perinatal anxiety and depression, there are a number of organisations that can provide help:
PANDA Post and Antenatal Depression Association Inc
Telephone support: 1300 726 306 9.30 – 4.30 Mon-Fri
Email support: info@panda.org.au
Tresillian 24 hour Parents Help Line
Sydney (02) 9787 0855 or Free Call 1800 637 357
Karitane
Telephone support: 1300 227 464
Email support: Karitane.online@swsahs.nsw.gov.au
Other people you should consider contacting include your
Early Childhood Health Centre
GP
Obstetrician
Midwife
(1) Davey, SJ 2002, A Comparison of the effectiveness of treatments for postnatal depression, with the inclusion of me, PhD Thesis
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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, six million American men (nearly seven percent of the U.S. male population) will be diagnosed with a depressive illness this year. For these men and their loved ones, RAGE AGAINST THE MESHUGENAH offers an everyman’s glimpse into the true face of depression…and perhaps a ray of hope for a happier future.
About Rage Against the Meshugenah
In his revealing, funny, and no-holds-barred memoir, Danny Evans takes us on his odyssey from having it all one moment and plunging into a crushing depression the next. He confronts his innermost demons, and the hidden truths about his family in a raw and honest account.
“My first therapist’s name was Neil Diamond, but he didn’t wear sequins, didn’t bring me flowers, and most certainly did not turn on my heartlight (nor any other part of my body). Were he that Neil, the real Neil, the Jewish Elvis, it would have been my solemn duty as a Jew to dry-hump his leg because that’s the kind of shpilkes that washes over Members of the Tribe when we are in the presence of Neil Diamond. We go completely meshugenah. In fact, there’s an obscure, secret Jew code that mandates if you’re on a sinking ship in the middle of shark-infested waters with your spouse, your child, and Neil Diamond, and you can only save one of your shipmates, you must save Neil. You can get a new wife and have new kids, but there’s only one Neil Diamond. Well, two, actually: the real Neil and the therapist Neil, but the latter, if I’m being completely honest, was kind of a tool. You’d have to get me good and drunk before I’d ever consider dry-humping the leg (or any other part of the body) of a dude who wore deplorable imitation Cosby sweaters and spent most of his time staring at the damn legal pad upon which he jotted notes about his perceptions of my mental acuity. Or lack thereof.”
Nothing is off-limits on Evans’ quest—not even his analysis of the embarrassing and inconvenient sexual side effects of his get-well medication. It’s enough to drive a man insane. But Danny learns the hard way that he may just have to go a little crazy in order to find his way back home.
http://dannyevansbooks.com/about-the-book.php