The Secret Diary of The Beautiful Mind

Experiencing the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child brings unimaginable pain and grief, and can make you feel alone and lost. Everyone grieves in his own way. Men and women often show grief in different ways. Even if you and your partner agree on lots of things, you may feel and show your grief differently. Different ways of dealing with grief may cause problems for you and your partner. For example, you may think your partner isn’t as upset about your baby’s death as you are. You may think he doesn’t care as much. This may make you angry. At the same time, your partner may feel that you’re too emotional. He may not want to hear about your feelings so often, and he may think you’ll never get over your grief. He also may feel left out of all the support you’re getting. Everyone may ask him how you’re doing but forget to ask how he’s doing. Showing grief doesn’t have any rules or instructions. Men and women often may show grief in these ways. But there’s really no right or wrong way f

  Postpartum psychosis (or puerperal psychosis) is a severe mental illness. It starts suddenly in the days, or weeks, after having a baby. Symptoms vary, and can change rapidly. This condition causes a woman to experience symptoms that can be scary for her. She may hear voices, see things that aren’t reality, and experience extreme feelings of sadness and anxiety. These symptoms warrant emergency medical treatment. It can happen to any woman and often occurs ‘out of the blue’, even if you have not been ill before. It can be a frightening experience for a mother, her partner, friends and family. It can last several weeks or longer – but you will usually recover fully. It is much less common than baby blues or postnatal depression. Causes - Several things seem to play a part in postpartum psychosis. Your family history and genetic factors are important. Hormone levels and disturbed sleep patterns may also be involved. An estimated 31 percent of women with a history of postpartum psychosi

  Postpartum panic disorder is a condition that new mothers may experience during the months after giving birth. Postpartum panic disorder is a triggered condition that results in excessive worry, fear and anxiety. The odds are about 1 in 10 new moms will experience postpartum panic attacks. Panic attacks may happen frequently or sporadically. There are different triggers that cause panic attacks to happen, but they center on thoughts and fears regarding the health or well-being of the baby. Many women ignore or avoid their symptoms and therefore do not seek help or treatment. Additionally, many women who share their symptoms with loved ones are told that mothers are naturally nervous and not to worry. However, when panic attacks cause disruptive physiological, mental and emotional distress, it is more than just nerves. While the exact causes of panic attacks remain unclear, severe stress, medical conditions, and other physical causes have been indicated as triggers for panic attacks.

  After giving birth, you must adjust to an entirely new life and cope with a lot of related stress. Pregnancy and the postpartum period can be a trigger for OCD. Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder that develop in the postpartum period typically focus on the baby and her wellbeing, and can include the following types of obsessions and compulsions: Extreme worry that your baby could fall, choke, be dropped or die suddenly Fear of being alone with your baby Intrusive thoughts of something terrible happening to your baby An extreme need to keep your baby's clothes and accessories tidy and symmetrical Checking behaviors, such as constantly looking in on your baby while she's sleeping Obsessively praying to protect your baby. These thoughts are intrusive and make caring for your child very difficult. You don’t have the intention to harm your child, but you’re very much afraid that you will do so accidentally. Fortunately, postpartum OCD is very treatable. Treatment may inclu