Nearly every man and woman in America has heard of postpartum depression, or PPD. Many of us know someone who has been affected by postpartum depression in one way or another. Women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth or miscarried are often educated on the basic signs and symptoms of postpartum depression. Unfortunately, most women are not educated concerning the lesser-known condition of postpartum anxiety.
Anxiety and depression often work together upon an individual’s psyche, but the symptoms for anxiety are very different than the basic symptoms of depression. Any form of depression, including postpartum depression, can leave someone feeling tired, listless, disengaged from society, inexplicably sad for no apparent reason, and even think about or attempt suicide. Symptoms of postpartum anxiety, on the other hand, include rapid pulse and heart palpitations, anger, paranoia, restlessness, headaches, and other symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder.
Since the major medical focus for so many years has been on postpartum depression, and symptoms associated with postpartum anxiety that do not include feelings of depression are often overlooked or explained away as being part of postpartum depression. It is very important to distinguish between these two very different disorders so that appropriate treatment options can be evaluated. The medications for depression and anxiety although similar react very differently upon the individual’s body.
Depression is treated most often with medications that provide the patient with an “upper” to give the patient more energy and to “feel” more in everyday life. On the other hand, anti-anxiety medications act as more of a depressant upon the patient’s system in order to help prevent the feelings of panic, rapid pulse, anger, and restlessness. Treating a woman who is suffering from postpartum anxiety with an anti-depressant can worsen symptoms exponentially. Just as disastrous can be ignoring or falsely diagnosing symptoms of postpartum anxiety and failing to treat the patient at all.
I speak from experience when I reiterate how dangerous overlooking symptoms of postpartum anxiety in the absence of depression can be. I am mother to five beautiful children, and I first experienced symptoms of postpartum anxiety when my first child was a few months old. Because my doctors had only ever educated me as to symptoms of postpartum depression, I did not understand what was happening to me.
I experienced panic attacks anytime the phone would ring or there was a knock at the door. I felt constantly restless and like nothing I was doing was quite enough. I became angry over the tiniest little things, and the strain on my new marriage was great as a result of my feelings. I did not feel sad; I didn’t cry over everything; I did not contemplate hurting myself or others…none of the classic symptoms of postpartum depression. My doctor felt that since my demeanor seemed more upbeat than depressed than I was in the clear and did not need any sort of treatment for the feelings I was experiencing.
I became pregnant again relatively quickly after the birth of my first child, and my “emotions” seemed to even out during my pregnancy. I felt much calmer and was generally more satisfied with my life. Unfortunately, as with postpartum depression, if you experience postpartum anxiety after the birth of a child you are at greater risk and can experience worsening symptoms with each subsequence pregnancy.
I was on the track and speeding away on a six-year rollercoaster of pregnancy followed by postpartum anxiety with no help to be found. During these years I was calm and content while pregnant and up to three or four months postpartum. After that time I experienced worsening symptoms of postpartum anxiety until I became pregnant again. During these periods of postpartum anxiety my marriage was almost ended multiple times, I treated friends and family poorly, and I was generally dissatisfied with my life. I used to “joke” with my husband that I was “much nicer” when I was pregnant than when I was not!
Finally, after I gave birth to my fifth child I had a tubal ligation and knew that there wouldn’t be any future pregnancies to “even out my hormones,” as I referred to it. I had finally noticed the patterns of behavior I had been cycling through and tried to speak with my doctor to see if I should consider some sort of medication that might prevent me from the same dangerous cycle I had been in so many times before. My doctor went over the symptoms of postpartum depression, expressed that he thought I was “fine” and didn’t need anything to help me out.
I accepted that answer for a few months until the feelings of extreme anxiety hit me again. I finally went to see another doctor to evaluate all the symptoms that I was having. Finally, I had someone talk to be about the symptoms of postpartum anxiety, which very much explained what had been happening to me over the years and what I was now experiencing. He started me on a small dosage of Lexapro, used for treating anxiety, which I stayed on for about six months before tapering back off. I could hardly believe the difference that it made in my life. I felt like a happy, normal human being who could be content with her life as wife, mother, friend, student, career woman, and all the other titles and positions I hold. I experienced greater happiness and peace in my marriage, and I have continued to feel that way after stopping the medication.
I strongly urge any postpartum women who have feelings of anxiety rather than depression to ask their doctor about treatment for postpartum anxiety. Medical science is slowly beginning to recognize this disorder as being just as important as postpartum depression, and my hope is that education concerning both these serious disorders will continue to improve so that women everywhere can receive the help that they need to feel whole again.
