One out of every five new mothers this year will be diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. And new research is confirming what many leading PPD experts have long believed: that many, many women suffering from PPD are still not being diagnosed, not receiving adequate help.
This may leave you wondering: how can it be that, with at least 20 percent of mothers suffering from the same condition, we let the others slip through the cracks? Wouldn’t a depressed mom’s doctors, friends, and family members be able to tell that something was wrong?
The answer to those questions are complicated, but in short: No, these women are not being overlooked by the people closest to them. They are not being diagnosed because there are no clear signs that anything is wrong.
As a PPD expert, advocate – and survivor – I have first-hand experience with this. Even when I was nearing rock bottom, I really didn’t know anything was seriously wrong. I certainly wouldn’t have let on to my friends, to the moms in my baby-and-me group, even to my husband. When I finally discovered the truth, it was a big revelation.
Depression, of any kind, is a subtle attacker. More subtle than we, as a society, like to admit. I often think about the pamphlets on depression that you see at the doctor’s office – the person on the cover is usually crying. It might be more accurate if they put a smiling face on the cover! Or maybe just somebody who hasn’t taken a shower or changed out their pajamas in a few days…
The truth is, depression makes you wear your own face like a mask. Most people can still smile and be happy. But inside, they may be feeling any one of hundreds of emotions, or nothing at all. Want to know if somebody you love is suffering from PPD? Here are some of the most common symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.
PPD looks like any ONE or more of these symptoms, lasting or beginning more than six weeks after childbirth and often interfering with a mother’s ability to care for her child:
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Intense irritability and anger
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Loss of interest in sex
- Lack of joy in life
- Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy
- Severe mood swings
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
For more in-depth explanations of what a woman might feel while suffering from PPD, read The Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety (in Plain Mama English) thanks to Postpartum Progress.
What does PPD look like? It looks like a mom who is trying her best, and putting on a brave face. It looks like a woman who never misses a day of work, though inwardly she is worried sick. It looks anxious, angry, happy and tired by turns. The fact is, it could look like anything. The only way that PPD can be accurately diagnosed is through understanding how it feels. And emotions can be much, much harder to see.
In part 2, I will talk about what PPD looks like to a woman who is experiencing it. In the meantime, if you think this might be you or someone you know, please get in touch. It would mean so much for me to be able to offer help and advice.