Postpartum Depression Treatment: Finding Support with Postpartum Depression Therapy

At Elevate Recovery Center, our trained postpartum depression specialists understand the difference. Baby blues is something most women experience at some level after having a child. It can be a mix of sadness and being overwhelmed. Symptoms of baby blues may include crying spells, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping.

The cause of baby blues can be changes in hormone levels and sleep deprivation. It is normal to feel a sense of isolation and lack of support with a newborn. The postpartum period typically dissipates within two to three weeks. Postpartum depression involves more severe and sometimes disabling symptoms.

Postpartum depression is a more extreme mood disorder than baby blues and has a significantly more extended postpartum period. It typically begins within a month of giving birth and can last for months. The symptoms of postpartum depression can mimic those of baby blues but be much more intense. The depressive symptoms also may include:

• Thoughts of harming the baby
• Agitation with a partner, the baby, or family members
• Lack of interest in the baby or things that are typically enjoyable
• Severe mood swings
• Lack of energy
• Trouble sleeping
• Problems concentrating
• Negative thoughts about your role as a mother, or thinking the baby is better off without you
• Difficulty bonding with the baby
• Guilt
• Hopelessness
• Self-blame

Any woman who has thoughts of suicide or harming their baby needs immediate medical attention. Seeking specialized postpartum depression treatment is a critical step in ensuring the safety and well-being of both the mother and the infant.

A significant contributing element to postpartum depression may be the drop in estrogen and progesterone levels that occur after birth. There may also be changes in thyroid hormones after a baby is born. A drop in these hormones from their pre-pregnancy levels can lead to fatigue and intense feelings of sadness. Seeking professional post partum depression treatment can help balance these physiological shifts and provide the emotional stability needed during this transition.

There is a genetic predisposition to severe perinatal conditions. If someone in your family has experienced these symptoms, early access to postpartum psychosis treatment can be life-saving, providing the intensive support needed to navigate these complex biological shifts. In these cases, early postpartum depression treatment can help mitigate symptoms and provide essential support during the hormonal transition after birth.

A history of mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, may be contributing factors to postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. There is always an emotional adjustment necessary after childbirth.

Postpartum blues can hit some women harder if they have underlying mental health conditions. In these cases, postpartum depression therapy is an essential tool for managing the added mental stress and helping you adjust to your new role with confidence.

Although depression is the most common mood disorder after giving birth, there is a belief that postpartum anxiety is often underdiagnosed. Seeking specialized postpartum anxiety treatment is essential for mothers experiencing intrusive fears, such as concerns over crib death or infant abduction.:

• Fear of crib death
• Fear of illness
• Fear of abduction

Mothers experiencing excessive anxiety may stay awake and monitor babies all night or refuse to let the baby out of their sight. They may experience mood swings that take them from irritated to panicked in seconds.

Postpartum psychosis is the most severe perinatal mood disorder and typically requires immediate medical intervention. Comprehensive postpartum psychosis treatment focuses on stabilizing the mother through clinical monitoring and specialized psychiatric care to manage hallucinations and paranoia.

It is a condition that usually comes on suddenly and puts the mother and baby at extreme risk. Mothers with postpartum psychosis may harm or kill their babies or commit suicide without treatment.

Postpartum PTSD is the same as traditional PTSD, but it begins after childbirth. The mother can start having flashbacks of a traumatic experience that occurred before, during, or after the birth. The experience may be real or just perceived. This form of distress can cause panic and fear. At Elevate Recovery, our therapy for postpartum depression includes trauma-informed approaches to help mothers process difficult birth experiences and find relief from flashbacks.

These mood disorders can occur alongside postpartum depression or independently. Because up to 50% of women experience both, our comprehensive postpartum anxiety treatment plans are designed to address overlapping symptoms like obsessive-compulsive behaviors and persistent worry.

It is not clear why some women experience perinatal mental health conditions. Those who have a mental illness before pregnancy would have an increased risk, such as major depression or anxiety.

Postpartum depression screening can help identify risk factors in women even before they give birth. This early detection allows a comprehensive postpartum depression treatment plan to start sooner, leading to better long-term outcomes for the entire family.

Screening is something our treatment professionals may do if you experience chronic depression or are in treatment for a psychiatric illness. Proper postpartum screening ensures you receive appropriate treatment for postpartum depression after the baby comes. It allows us to be more aware of potential postpartum depression symptoms just in case.

There is no federal screening program for postpartum depression, but many states do have one in place using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Screening can help prevent postpartum depression in women at risk of it, manage the symptoms, and control the hormonal changes proactively.

To diagnose postpartum depression, our therapeutic specialists look for a combination of symptoms as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Postpartum depression diagnosis begins with a review of the patient’s family history and an assessment of their symptoms. Screening tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale can be part of that assessment.

For some, the first step to treating postpartum depression will be drug administration approved medication, specifically antidepressants, to manage symptoms. Postpartum depression drugs work by balancing or changing the levels of critical neurotransmitters. They help to relieve postpartum depressive symptoms, and some are safe to take even if breastfeeding. Although they may pass through breast milk, the levels are generally low.

Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, is a critical component in the treatment of postpartum depression. It allows new mothers experiencing perinatal depression to talk one-on-one with one of our mental health providers.

During these sessions, our mental health professional evaluates you for postpartum depression and takes a family history. After diagnosing postpartum depression, they can create a plan tailored to meet your needs using evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

CBT combines two traditional therapies used in major depression treatment: cognitive and behavioral. Our therapists use CBT to investigate the negative thought patterns a woman is experiencing and how they affect her actions.

Along with individual therapy and antidepressant medications, support groups can be beneficial for women experiencing postpartum depression. We create a community of women who are encountering postpartum depression, allowing them to support one another.

Treatment of postpartum depression can include support groups that help you to talk about your symptoms. Support groups are also a great source for coping mechanisms that can help you manage your postpartum depression.