I have another video to share of a remarkable woman who has made tremendous strides in spreading awareness of PPD while treating and helping women who have it. Dr. Shoshana Bennett is the past president of Postpartum Support International as well as founder of Postpartum Assistance for Mothers. Also a renowned author and speaker in the realm of postpartum depression, Shoshana has devoted much of her adult life to educating new moms on the symptoms of PPD and how to be empowered to overcome them. In fact, she is a survivor of two life-threatening, undiagnosed instances of postpartum depression herself, which makes her a total expert in my book, even with her amazing credentials.
To view a video series of Shoshana discussing various aspects of PPD in short clips, click here. You can also see her work on her wonderful and informative web site.
Showing posts with label Postpartum Support International. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Postpartum Support International. Show all posts
December 17, 2009
June 9, 2009
Watch Shoshana Bennett's PPD videos on EmpowHer
This is a must-see ... Dr. Shoshana Bennett, past president of Postpartum Support International and a past president of California's state organization Postpartum Health Alliance, speaks out on PPD in a video series on EmpowHer.
One of the videos that I believe is a powerful topic to explore is whether or not PPD can go away by itself. One study that Dr. Shosh quotes showed that 25% of women who had PPD were still deeply depressed one year out.
I'm wondering if this statistic might be low. Or if there are a lot more women (besides the 25% who are deeply depressed), who are just ever so slightly or even mildly depressed and remain so for a long, long time. And then become a lot more depressed over time until chronic depression sets in.
All I know is that I've known plenty of mothers who are obviously depressed, even many years after their kids are born. They might overeat or chain smoke or drink a little too much from time to time, or do other things to take the edge off. But deep down they're depressed. And their depression could have very well started as PPD and then left untreated to fester over time. I wonder how many women who end up being prescribed anti-depressants in their mid-life, when their kids are well into elementary school and beyond, are actually suffering from PPD.....
March 13, 2009
Kudos to organizations behind the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS ACT!!!
More on the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS ACT......
I think it's interesting to know who the sponsors of the bill are. I'd like to send many kudos to these wonderful organizations who "get it" and see the need for postpartum depression legislation. The leaders of these organizations are doing what they can to help bring moms with PPD out of the darkness of their depression and isolation, to make sure they receive the care and support they need so their needless suffering can end.
Here they are:
Postpartum Support International
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
American Psychological Association
American Psychiatric Association
Children’s Defense Fund
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
March of Dimes
Mental Health America
American College of Nurse Midwives
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
National Partnership for Women & Families
OWL- The Voice of Midlife and Older Women
National Women’s Law Center
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
American Psychological Association
American Psychiatric Association
Children’s Defense Fund
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
March of Dimes
Mental Health America
American College of Nurse Midwives
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
National Partnership for Women & Families
OWL- The Voice of Midlife and Older Women
National Women’s Law Center
October 1, 2008
Pregnant on Prozac, Dr. Shoshana Bennett's latest book and a must-read!!!
I'm thrilled to announce a new book, "Pregnant on Prozac" by Dr. Shoshana Bennett, nationally renowned Postpartum Depression expert and past president of Postpartum Support International. This new ground-breaking book will be released in January, 2009, and I personally can't wait to see it on book store shelves around the country.
Well, now, thanks to Shoshana, there's finally a book that cuts through the fog and answers integral questions such as: Does the media exaggerate risks? What of options such as tapering the dose? Most importantly, this book empowers each woman with the knowledge to make THE BEST decision for her and her family. "Pregnant on Prozac" is for any prospective mother who has experienced depression or anxiety as well as anyone with a friend or loved one in this situation. It's the first guide to separate the myths from the facts, and clearly spells out not only the possible risks of anti-depressant use (whether it be Prozac, Wellbutrin, or any of the other drugs), but also the lesser-known yet serious risks to both fetus and mother from untreated depression. In the book, Shoshana also discusses natural treatment methods, which I believe is so very helpful and important, and haven't seen elsewhere.
The only problem now is waiting till January to scoop copies of this book off the shelves to give to every obstetrician and pregnant woman I know.....
September 5, 2008
Get to know the wonderful Stephanie Morales!
Stephanie Morales recently got in touch with me via EmpowHer, and I want to spread word of her wonderful work. Stephanie is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Torrance, California. In addition to her extensive involvement in the women's health arena in Los Angeles, Stephanie also makes time to volunteer as a Southern California Co-Coordinator for Postpartum Support International (PSI). She is currently coordinating PSI's national resource list for their Spanish Warmline. This warmline is an awesome resource, providing much needed Spanish-language PPD support through a toll-free number, at 1-800-944-4PPD (press 1 for Spanish).
Many, many kudos to Stephanie for her incredible dedication to helping women with PPD while spreading awareness in both English and Spanish. If you have any resources that you'd like to share with Stephanie and her team at the Spanish Warmline, please contact her at: StephanieMoralesMFT@hotmail.com. And check out her beautiful web site!
May 12, 2008
Susan Dowd Stone comments on the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act
I know I've written before on The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act that is now before the US Senate, but really, there can't be enough said about this all-important legislation.
Susan Dowd Stone, President of Postpartum Support International, provided the below statement about the bill. She brilliantly covers the important aspects of the bill and why we desperately need it to be passed. Please feel free to comment or offer questions about the bill and I will get them to her to respond to you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we await positive action from our nation’s legislators on The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act , questions arise. Some have wondered why we need a federal bill in place when we have so many well known organizations and individuals devoted to ending the ignorance of pregnancy related mood disorders. Hasn’t this issue received enough attention these past three years? With all the media, famous advocates and well respected leaders speaking out, the growing science and research substantiating the seriousness of untreated maternal depression – aren’t we done? Aren’t many thousands more people now aware of postpartum depression, thanks to the CBS Cares public service campaign, news stories on every major and local network, the power of the blogosphere, conferences, state’s responses and organizations like PSI, EmpowHer and many others? And aren’t there now more services and treatment options available as mothers face what is often the fight of their life?
NO. We are barely beyond the starting line.
It’s true we now have two states out of 50 with legislation on the books strongly encouraging screening, education for consumers and healthcare providers and services for new mothers. Many other states are in the process of developing programs thanks to the tireless efforts of grassroots organizations and advocates who have decided that lives will not be lost on their watch by the devastation of untreated maternal depression. But their sustainability is uncertain and often depends on the generosity of donors and foundations besieged with requests for funding. We now have one or maybe two hospitals in the whole country where women can seek treatment with their infants and avoid the damaging and often unnecessary separations when intense services are required.
We need a federal response because research and education .. not geography... should determine what services will be consistently available to all American mothers. And that is exactly the goal that The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act (TMBSMA) intends to initiate.
There is nothing in TMBSMA that suggests mandates for anything.. no conspiracy to medicate moms, take away children - its modest request for funding streamlines the focus of its initiatives - READ THE SUMMARY and see for yourself. This truly bipartisan effort is about research education and provision of services for long suffering moms who have not had such access in the past and disgracefully still don't. Currently only 15% of afflicted mothers will ever receive any treatment.
Treatment can take many forms including social support, consumer education, better nutrition and self care, therapy, and sometimes medication. No choice should ever be discouraged - each women's experience is as unique as her life, and her recovery plan should reflect all available options! To cast aspersions or imply weakness when medication is warranted for recovery is like telling a diabetic woman she should be ashamed of taking her insulin.
We routinely screen - without any public outcry - for many other pregnancy related conditions whose incidence is less than the up to 20% of mothers (that's 800,000 without counting women who miscarry or whose babies are stillborn) who may develop a serious mood disorder this year!
There is a long list of other illnesses - including breast cancer - which appear less frequently among American women, but which generate appropriate and unquestioned societal, legislative and healthcare response. But we do not consistently and routinely ask the right questions of pregnant and postpartum women. The difference is the stigma of mental illness.
Research continues to point to early brain development in the neonate as exquisitely sensitive to its environment – an environment whose quality largely depends on the health and abilities of its mother. In no other illness is the fate and future health of one innocent so closely tied to the present health and abilities of another. So we can pretty much double the number of those directly affected by pregnancy related mood disorders without argument. The statistics of those afflicated will continue to rise in numbers completely disproportionate to our abysmal response.
Perhaps when further research on long term societal, family and psychological effects finally translates into economic loss, this destroyer of our motherhood's expected joy will finally receive the attention needed to end truly needless suffering. The irony is that here's one condition where PRIMARY PREVENTION, i.e. methods to reduce the incidence and effects...is entirely possible. By our avoidance and refusal to implement a national, prosocial and adequate response we pay many times over for such ignorance... and those who pay the most are our most vulnerable citizens.
One can only incredulously wonder why on earth there would be any objection to federal encouragement and support for the research, education and services needed to end the loss of lives and incalculable suffering. Federal support means everyone is on notice to get up to speed. Federal support means the services are available to the many, not just the few. And federal support and acknowledgement means the beginning of the end of stigma.
The reality of maternal mental illness is a fact which cannot be challenged. The battle could go on another ten years depending on our demands of our elected officials to end a public health crisis. But while constituents remain inert about taking action, while we split hairs over definitions,form camps about what treatment is best, allow our legislators to politicize the problem and take aim at each other instead of the issue, suffering is prolonged for those too ill to participate in the calls for help.
Bills are passed for new roads while mothers experience unfathomable despair. Bills are passed for bicycle helmets while the partners of such mothers initiate a desperate search for help. Bills are passed for mortgage relief and campaign finance reform while babies cry alone.
Women are the majority of voters and our children are held up as the future of our country yet we are often silent for ourselves and our children - unused to the direct solicitation of our opinion as one that deeply matters and which can shape future policy. We are often too quickly grateful for any consideration received instead of demanding what is truly needed. The transformative magnificence of the internet is that it offers busy mothers and those who love them - a path to power, an internet megaphone, a virtual march on Washington, and the facilitation of unity despite the distracted isolation of daily demands.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a summary of the bill. Please check it out and let everyone you know about this important legislation that we need to work together to make sure it's passed.
Susan Dowd Stone, President of Postpartum Support International, provided the below statement about the bill. She brilliantly covers the important aspects of the bill and why we desperately need it to be passed. Please feel free to comment or offer questions about the bill and I will get them to her to respond to you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we await positive action from our nation’s legislators on The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act , questions arise. Some have wondered why we need a federal bill in place when we have so many well known organizations and individuals devoted to ending the ignorance of pregnancy related mood disorders. Hasn’t this issue received enough attention these past three years? With all the media, famous advocates and well respected leaders speaking out, the growing science and research substantiating the seriousness of untreated maternal depression – aren’t we done? Aren’t many thousands more people now aware of postpartum depression, thanks to the CBS Cares public service campaign, news stories on every major and local network, the power of the blogosphere, conferences, state’s responses and organizations like PSI, EmpowHer and many others? And aren’t there now more services and treatment options available as mothers face what is often the fight of their life?
NO. We are barely beyond the starting line.
It’s true we now have two states out of 50 with legislation on the books strongly encouraging screening, education for consumers and healthcare providers and services for new mothers. Many other states are in the process of developing programs thanks to the tireless efforts of grassroots organizations and advocates who have decided that lives will not be lost on their watch by the devastation of untreated maternal depression. But their sustainability is uncertain and often depends on the generosity of donors and foundations besieged with requests for funding. We now have one or maybe two hospitals in the whole country where women can seek treatment with their infants and avoid the damaging and often unnecessary separations when intense services are required.
We need a federal response because research and education .. not geography... should determine what services will be consistently available to all American mothers. And that is exactly the goal that The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act (TMBSMA) intends to initiate.
There is nothing in TMBSMA that suggests mandates for anything.. no conspiracy to medicate moms, take away children - its modest request for funding streamlines the focus of its initiatives - READ THE SUMMARY and see for yourself. This truly bipartisan effort is about research education and provision of services for long suffering moms who have not had such access in the past and disgracefully still don't. Currently only 15% of afflicted mothers will ever receive any treatment.
Treatment can take many forms including social support, consumer education, better nutrition and self care, therapy, and sometimes medication. No choice should ever be discouraged - each women's experience is as unique as her life, and her recovery plan should reflect all available options! To cast aspersions or imply weakness when medication is warranted for recovery is like telling a diabetic woman she should be ashamed of taking her insulin.
We routinely screen - without any public outcry - for many other pregnancy related conditions whose incidence is less than the up to 20% of mothers (that's 800,000 without counting women who miscarry or whose babies are stillborn) who may develop a serious mood disorder this year!
There is a long list of other illnesses - including breast cancer - which appear less frequently among American women, but which generate appropriate and unquestioned societal, legislative and healthcare response. But we do not consistently and routinely ask the right questions of pregnant and postpartum women. The difference is the stigma of mental illness.
Research continues to point to early brain development in the neonate as exquisitely sensitive to its environment – an environment whose quality largely depends on the health and abilities of its mother. In no other illness is the fate and future health of one innocent so closely tied to the present health and abilities of another. So we can pretty much double the number of those directly affected by pregnancy related mood disorders without argument. The statistics of those afflicated will continue to rise in numbers completely disproportionate to our abysmal response.
Perhaps when further research on long term societal, family and psychological effects finally translates into economic loss, this destroyer of our motherhood's expected joy will finally receive the attention needed to end truly needless suffering. The irony is that here's one condition where PRIMARY PREVENTION, i.e. methods to reduce the incidence and effects...is entirely possible. By our avoidance and refusal to implement a national, prosocial and adequate response we pay many times over for such ignorance... and those who pay the most are our most vulnerable citizens.
One can only incredulously wonder why on earth there would be any objection to federal encouragement and support for the research, education and services needed to end the loss of lives and incalculable suffering. Federal support means everyone is on notice to get up to speed. Federal support means the services are available to the many, not just the few. And federal support and acknowledgement means the beginning of the end of stigma.
The reality of maternal mental illness is a fact which cannot be challenged. The battle could go on another ten years depending on our demands of our elected officials to end a public health crisis. But while constituents remain inert about taking action, while we split hairs over definitions,form camps about what treatment is best, allow our legislators to politicize the problem and take aim at each other instead of the issue, suffering is prolonged for those too ill to participate in the calls for help.
Bills are passed for new roads while mothers experience unfathomable despair. Bills are passed for bicycle helmets while the partners of such mothers initiate a desperate search for help. Bills are passed for mortgage relief and campaign finance reform while babies cry alone.
Women are the majority of voters and our children are held up as the future of our country yet we are often silent for ourselves and our children - unused to the direct solicitation of our opinion as one that deeply matters and which can shape future policy. We are often too quickly grateful for any consideration received instead of demanding what is truly needed. The transformative magnificence of the internet is that it offers busy mothers and those who love them - a path to power, an internet megaphone, a virtual march on Washington, and the facilitation of unity despite the distracted isolation of daily demands.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a summary of the bill. Please check it out and let everyone you know about this important legislation that we need to work together to make sure it's passed.
May 6, 2008
Toll-free warm line offers Spanish language PPD support!
Well, I haven't had much luck in my quest to find PPD resources for new, single moms, but I did find this helpful bit of info.....
Postpartum Support International offers Spanish-language support on its toll-free warmline, at 1-800-944-4PPD (press 1 for Spanish).
I think this is an incredibly helpful resource. I do believe that there are many hispanic women suffering not only from PPD, but also from the stigma of PPD, due to cultural and language barriers. I applaud PSI for offering this very important resource!
Andrea Zas Jimenez is the support coordinator for the Spanish Warmline, and Stephanie Morales will be coordinating PSI's national resource list for Spanish-speaking support.
Please help spread the word about this resource for Spanish-speaking new moms who may need PPD information and help.
Postpartum Support International offers Spanish-language support on its toll-free warmline, at 1-800-944-4PPD (press 1 for Spanish).
I think this is an incredibly helpful resource. I do believe that there are many hispanic women suffering not only from PPD, but also from the stigma of PPD, due to cultural and language barriers. I applaud PSI for offering this very important resource!
Andrea Zas Jimenez is the support coordinator for the Spanish Warmline, and Stephanie Morales will be coordinating PSI's national resource list for Spanish-speaking support.
Please help spread the word about this resource for Spanish-speaking new moms who may need PPD information and help.
March 26, 2008
Why are we fighting against each other over a bill that will save lives??
I continue to be amazed at the backlash that has generated in response to the much-needed, ground-breaking Mother's Act that is currently before the US Senate. Apparently just a handful of women are behind this backlash, however they're raising quite a stink. And they appear not to have actually read the bill. Rather, they obviously have their own agenda regarding SSRI's and thus have twisted the actual intent of the bill to fuel their agenda.
So let's back up...... It has taken 7 years for this piece of legislation to get to where it is today. Here is a synopsis of what the bill is really about, taken from the Postpartum Support International web site:
"H.R. 20 prioritizes research and treatment of postpartum depression and psychosis by expanding and intensifying research through the National Institutes of Health and the National Institutes of Mental Health on the causes, diagnoses and treatments of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
H.R. 20 also encourages the National Institutes of Health to work in partnership with local communities to coordinate and broadcast heightened public service awareness about postpartum depression and its symptoms. H.R. 20 further provides grants to groups that have a track record of working with women who suffer from postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis."
A comment on the bill by U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush: "Because of the failure of our nation's health system to effectively address the medical ramifications of postpartum depression and psychosis, I will continue to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to join me, Melanie's mom and millions of concerned families throughout the country to ensure enactment of this legislation," Chairman Rush said.
If the group of women who are attempting to sabotage this bill were to actually read it, they'd find that it's not about "pushing pills." It's not "big pharma" taking over and making sure that every new mom is diagnosed with PPD so they can be prescribed SSRI's. That's a bunch of crap.
It's about spreading awareness of PPD, to the public as well as to the medical community. It's about education -- every new mom who leaves the hospital will be armed with information about PPD. It's about actually helping new moms who are suffering from a postpartum mood disorder and who are now left either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. It's also about educating the medical community on how to look for signs of postpartum depression in their patients and to make sure they get the help they need, whether that's talk therapy, an anti-depressant, a support group, a postpartum doula, etc.
I nearly lost my life to postpartum depression after the birth of my third baby and I know firsthand what it's like to be misdiagnosed and left untreated. The doctor who failed to diagnose my PPD literally threw up his hands in front of me and told me to "go home and be a mother to my babies." I wouldn't wish this kind of mistreatment for any other woman, and yet it's happening to new moms out there EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's about time a bill like this gets passed so that we can not only increase awareness of this insidious, and yet easily treatable disorder, but also save lives. Anyone who is speaking out against this bill because of an issue with anti-depressants/pharma clearly doesn't understand its purpose.
I believe that we can all agree that when something works to bring a PPD/PPP sufferer back from the abyss, we should all be grateful, whether that "something" is yoga, a support group, a loving mother-in-law, a helpful neighbor who cooks dinners, a postpartum doula, acupuncture, prayer, music therapy, a supportive husband, a help-line counselor, meditation, a sugar pill, an SSRI, massage therapy, chanting, whatever.... For me personally, a combination of talk therapy, prozac and yoga saved my life. For some others, this would not work. All brains are different, with very different chemistry make-ups.
Regardless, I believe it's time we stop casting judgments. We should pull together as women who care about other women, to bring an end to the needless suffering of those with perinatal mood disorders. Let's focus on the positive and stop bickering about a bill that will do a lot of good.
So let's back up...... It has taken 7 years for this piece of legislation to get to where it is today. Here is a synopsis of what the bill is really about, taken from the Postpartum Support International web site:
"H.R. 20 prioritizes research and treatment of postpartum depression and psychosis by expanding and intensifying research through the National Institutes of Health and the National Institutes of Mental Health on the causes, diagnoses and treatments of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
H.R. 20 also encourages the National Institutes of Health to work in partnership with local communities to coordinate and broadcast heightened public service awareness about postpartum depression and its symptoms. H.R. 20 further provides grants to groups that have a track record of working with women who suffer from postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis."
A comment on the bill by U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush: "Because of the failure of our nation's health system to effectively address the medical ramifications of postpartum depression and psychosis, I will continue to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to join me, Melanie's mom and millions of concerned families throughout the country to ensure enactment of this legislation," Chairman Rush said.
If the group of women who are attempting to sabotage this bill were to actually read it, they'd find that it's not about "pushing pills." It's not "big pharma" taking over and making sure that every new mom is diagnosed with PPD so they can be prescribed SSRI's. That's a bunch of crap.
It's about spreading awareness of PPD, to the public as well as to the medical community. It's about education -- every new mom who leaves the hospital will be armed with information about PPD. It's about actually helping new moms who are suffering from a postpartum mood disorder and who are now left either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. It's also about educating the medical community on how to look for signs of postpartum depression in their patients and to make sure they get the help they need, whether that's talk therapy, an anti-depressant, a support group, a postpartum doula, etc.
I nearly lost my life to postpartum depression after the birth of my third baby and I know firsthand what it's like to be misdiagnosed and left untreated. The doctor who failed to diagnose my PPD literally threw up his hands in front of me and told me to "go home and be a mother to my babies." I wouldn't wish this kind of mistreatment for any other woman, and yet it's happening to new moms out there EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's about time a bill like this gets passed so that we can not only increase awareness of this insidious, and yet easily treatable disorder, but also save lives. Anyone who is speaking out against this bill because of an issue with anti-depressants/pharma clearly doesn't understand its purpose.
I believe that we can all agree that when something works to bring a PPD/PPP sufferer back from the abyss, we should all be grateful, whether that "something" is yoga, a support group, a loving mother-in-law, a helpful neighbor who cooks dinners, a postpartum doula, acupuncture, prayer, music therapy, a supportive husband, a help-line counselor, meditation, a sugar pill, an SSRI, massage therapy, chanting, whatever.... For me personally, a combination of talk therapy, prozac and yoga saved my life. For some others, this would not work. All brains are different, with very different chemistry make-ups.
Regardless, I believe it's time we stop casting judgments. We should pull together as women who care about other women, to bring an end to the needless suffering of those with perinatal mood disorders. Let's focus on the positive and stop bickering about a bill that will do a lot of good.
September 26, 2007
What to do if you're suffering from PPD but don't have health insurance ... here's one idea
Ever since I've started blogging about my own postpartum depression experience and also about the amazing resources that are out there for women and their families who are suffering, I often hear from new moms who are looking for help but don't have health insurance. This is such a huge issue, but after doing a little digging, I've been able to find some free resources that are out there.
For one, a wonderful organization called Postpartum Support International offers free phone sessions on an 800 line. These free sessions happen every Wednesday and are hosted by a PPD expert. This is an awesome, free resource that I think would be helpful to so many new mothers out there, as well as to their spouses, family and friends. Please check it out.
Postpartum Support International is now offering free Perinatal Mood Disorder Informational sessions via 800 teleconference line. The sessions are open to women who feel they may be suffering from a pregnancy related mood disorder, as well as to concerned family and friends. Callers will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain information from PSI healthcare professionals. This new program started Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at 3pm eastern standard time and will continue weekly on Wednesdays, alternating between 3pm and 9pm eastern standard time. The sessions are limited to the first 15 callers.Participants must call 1-800-944-8766 five minutes before the call begins. After the 15th caller joins the call, no other callers may join.This is a tremendous resource!! Check www.postpartum.net for dates, times and facilitators.
For one, a wonderful organization called Postpartum Support International offers free phone sessions on an 800 line. These free sessions happen every Wednesday and are hosted by a PPD expert. This is an awesome, free resource that I think would be helpful to so many new mothers out there, as well as to their spouses, family and friends. Please check it out.
Postpartum Support International is now offering free Perinatal Mood Disorder Informational sessions via 800 teleconference line. The sessions are open to women who feel they may be suffering from a pregnancy related mood disorder, as well as to concerned family and friends. Callers will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain information from PSI healthcare professionals. This new program started Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at 3pm eastern standard time and will continue weekly on Wednesdays, alternating between 3pm and 9pm eastern standard time. The sessions are limited to the first 15 callers.Participants must call 1-800-944-8766 five minutes before the call begins. After the 15th caller joins the call, no other callers may join.This is a tremendous resource!! Check www.postpartum.net for dates, times and facilitators.
September 10, 2007
Postpartum depression risk assessment during pregnancy
I just love the The Postpartum Stress Center site. One great tool on the site is a PPD risk assessment for women who are pregnant or planning to be pregnant. It's a good way to become educated on various factors that could predispose you to experiencing a postpartum mood disorder. For example, the following are some of the factors listed in the assessment:
- I have had a previous episode of postpartum depression and/or anxiety that was successfully treated with therapy and/or medication.
- I might have experienced symptoms of postpartum depression following previous births, but I never sought professional help.
- I have had one or more pregnancy losses.
- I have a history of depression/anxiety that was not related to childbirth.
- I have lost a child.
- I have been a victim of the following:
Childhood sexual abuse
Childhood physical abuse
Physical assault by someone I know
Physical assault by a stranger
Physical assault during this pregnancy
Sexual assault by someone I know
Sexual assault by a stranger
- There is a family history of depression/anxiety, treated or untreated.
- I have a history of severe PMS.
- I do not have a strong support system to help me if I need it.
- I have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
- People have told me I'm a perfectionist.
- During the past year, I have experienced an unusual amount of stress (ex: Move, job loss, divorce, loss of loved one)
I find this list so interesting and wish I'd had it back in the day. For example, the perfectionist issue -- who would have thought that being a perfectionist could raise your risk for having PPD? But, I can totally see it and how that overwhelming feeling that you're not doing everything you should be doing for your newborn, the household, other kids who need your attention, etc., etc., is devastating to a perfectionist who is used to having everything all put together perfectly.
And what about a history of severe PMS? That's such a huge and common issue. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, approximately 40% of women experience PMS on a consistent basis. And nearly 85% of women will experience one or more of the symptoms over the course of their reproductive life. But do these women realize that having PMS may be a factor that puts them at higher risk for PPD?
And of course the support system issue is a biggy and I've written about it before because it's something I've experienced personally -- both the lack of support and having support. For me, not having a strong support system was the overriding factor when I suffered from PPD. I felt like I was screaming out for help but no one was hearing me. It was horrible feeling so utterly alone and it nearly did me in. But with my subsequent pregnancy here in Arizona, when I had an overwhelmingly strong support system in place, my postpartum was wonderful. When pregnant women are busy filling a nursery with furniture, bedding, diapers, and other essentials, what they really need to be doing is filling up their support system with friends and family who are willing to pitch in with meals, household help, supportive phone calls, shopping assistance, birth announcements and more.
I could write all day about the above list. Most importantly, I want to applaud The Postpartum Stress Center for creating its eye-opening PPD Risk Assessment During Pregnancy. I think every pregnant woman should take a look at it. If you're not familiar with The Postpartum Stress Center, it was founded in 1988 by the wonderful Karen Kleiman, MSW, and received Postpartum Support International's Jane Honikman Award in 2003.
- I have had a previous episode of postpartum depression and/or anxiety that was successfully treated with therapy and/or medication.
- I might have experienced symptoms of postpartum depression following previous births, but I never sought professional help.
- I have had one or more pregnancy losses.
- I have a history of depression/anxiety that was not related to childbirth.
- I have lost a child.
- I have been a victim of the following:
Childhood sexual abuse
Childhood physical abuse
Physical assault by someone I know
Physical assault by a stranger
Physical assault during this pregnancy
Sexual assault by someone I know
Sexual assault by a stranger
- There is a family history of depression/anxiety, treated or untreated.
- I have a history of severe PMS.
- I do not have a strong support system to help me if I need it.
- I have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
- People have told me I'm a perfectionist.
- During the past year, I have experienced an unusual amount of stress (ex: Move, job loss, divorce, loss of loved one)
I find this list so interesting and wish I'd had it back in the day. For example, the perfectionist issue -- who would have thought that being a perfectionist could raise your risk for having PPD? But, I can totally see it and how that overwhelming feeling that you're not doing everything you should be doing for your newborn, the household, other kids who need your attention, etc., etc., is devastating to a perfectionist who is used to having everything all put together perfectly.
And what about a history of severe PMS? That's such a huge and common issue. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, approximately 40% of women experience PMS on a consistent basis. And nearly 85% of women will experience one or more of the symptoms over the course of their reproductive life. But do these women realize that having PMS may be a factor that puts them at higher risk for PPD?
And of course the support system issue is a biggy and I've written about it before because it's something I've experienced personally -- both the lack of support and having support. For me, not having a strong support system was the overriding factor when I suffered from PPD. I felt like I was screaming out for help but no one was hearing me. It was horrible feeling so utterly alone and it nearly did me in. But with my subsequent pregnancy here in Arizona, when I had an overwhelmingly strong support system in place, my postpartum was wonderful. When pregnant women are busy filling a nursery with furniture, bedding, diapers, and other essentials, what they really need to be doing is filling up their support system with friends and family who are willing to pitch in with meals, household help, supportive phone calls, shopping assistance, birth announcements and more.
I could write all day about the above list. Most importantly, I want to applaud The Postpartum Stress Center for creating its eye-opening PPD Risk Assessment During Pregnancy. I think every pregnant woman should take a look at it. If you're not familiar with The Postpartum Stress Center, it was founded in 1988 by the wonderful Karen Kleiman, MSW, and received Postpartum Support International's Jane Honikman Award in 2003.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)