Teletherapy for Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Adjusting to motherhood is hard.
Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complications of childbirth.
Many women who have just given birth struggle with a loss of independence, relationship changes, body image issues, isolation, and questions about returning to work. It can be an isolating experience. It can also bring up feelings of confusion, helplessness, anger, and shame.
Accepting that you feel anything other than joy postpartum can seem impossible. Asking for help can feel overwhelming.
I understand your feelings. I experienced them myself.
I am a licensed psychotherapist, and I didn’t know how to ask for help when experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety. I had to channel courage I didn’t even know existed. I am so glad I did.
Common Symptoms…
Postpartum Depression
- Feeling overwhelmed, like you can’t cope
- Lack of feelings or connection towards the baby
- Inability to take care of oneself or one’s family
- Self-isolation, social withdrawal
- Agitation, irritability
- Not feeling like yourself
- Increase in physical symptoms such as headaches, back pain, GI distress, etc.)
- Change in appetite
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Feeling incompetent
- Unable to sleep when the baby is sleeping
- Loss of interest or pleasure in things
- Poor concentration
- Suicidal thoughts
- Unable to make a decision
Postpartum Anxiety
- Excessive worry and anxiety about your health or your baby’s health
- Difficulty controlling your worry
- Constant ruminating, persistent or intrusive thoughts
- Restlessness, inability to sit still, feeling keyed up and on edge
- Agitation, irritability
- Desire for perfectionism
- Poor concentration
- Unable to fall or stay asleep because of your racing thoughts
- Intense feelings of fear
- Obsessions-uncontrollable recurrent and persistent thoughts that of frightening things happening to the baby
- Panic attacks
Therapy will help you…
“We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.”
– Laura Stavoe Harm
- Identify and lean into your team of support (family, friends, etc.)
- Teach you mindfulness skills and coping skills to help decrease the intensity of your emotions
- Check your expectations with reality
- Reduce your perfectionism and comparison
- Improve your communication with your support team
- Help reduce and resolve conflicts with loved ones
- Manage your feelings of anger in a healthy and productive manner
- Process and resolve your feelings of grief and loss
- Help you bloom into your new identity as a mother
