PMAD Symptoms
So last week we introduced PMADs and talked about the importance of differentiating between a PMAD and “postpartum depression”. This week I want to talk about each of the disorders and the signs of each.
As I mentioned before, PMADs can include depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and/or psychosis. Here are a few of the symptoms of each:
Perinatal Depression- Low mood, sadness, tearfulness; loss of interest, joy or pleasure in things you used to enjoy; agitation or anxiety; lack of energy or feeling slowed down; feelings of guilt, shame, or hopelessness.
Perinatal Anxiety- constant worry; feeling that something bad is going to happen; feeling like you can’t turn your brain off; physical symptoms like dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea or having a panic attack.
Perinatal OCD- obsessions which are persistent, repetitive thoughts or mental images that are very upsetting; compulsions, where mom may do certain things over and over to try and reduce fears and obsessions; sense of horror about the obsessions, fear of being left alone with the baby.
Perinatal PTSD- intrusive re-experiencing of a past traumatic event (which in this case may have been the childbirth itself); can include flashbacks or nightmares; avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, including: thoughts, feelings, people, places, and details associated with the event; persistent increased arousal (irritability, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance); anxiety and panic attacks.
Perinatal Psychosis- delusions of strange beliefs that feel real; hallucinations; feeling confused; feeling disconnected from reality; decreased need or inability to sleep; paranoia and suspiciousness.
This is all very heavy to go over, and can feel very vulnerable reading symptoms you may have. Even now, years after I went through having a PMAD, I feel vulnerable with some of the symptoms listed, so I understand if it’s especially raw while you’re in it at the moment.
During my PMAD, which was probably a mix of anxiety and depression, I refused to leave the house. If I thought there was a chance of needing to feed my newborn while I was out of the house, I would not go. I was not a first time mom, I had successfully breastfed in the past, but I was struggling feeding my second child and it created the “perfect” condition for postpartum anxiety to develop and control my thoughts.
If there are symptoms on that list that you feel like you’re struggling with, there is help out there, and even just sharing with a trusted friend or family member can help.
***A note- Perinatal Psychosis is an emergency and you or your loved one need help right away. I am not a mental health professional, but I know a quick google search will give you some good resources.***
Here is one resource we talked about in my continuing education course:
This nonprofit organization has local chapters all over the world to connect moms with therapists, support groups, groups for dads, and more. This could be a great place for you to start if you need more help.
If you feel like sleep is where you’d get the most help, head over to my “Work With Me” page to book some time with me, and we’ll get you and baby sleeping better.
