My new therapy group, The Postpartum Connection, now has five participants who have met for as many sessions. In many ways the group is a microcosm of the many faces on the Spectrum of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Participants come from inpatient settings, outpatient settings, and those new to therapy. They are first-time moms, second-time moms and those who have been devastated by one or more miscarriages. Some moms went undiagnosed after having the first baby but when similar symptoms followed after having the second baby, these symptoms began to be recognized and treated.
Some participants suffer from intrusive thoughts of postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder with all the unwanted images of harmed babies. There are also those who considered harming themselves but courageously sought help instead. And some still struggle from time to time with fleeting images and doubts about themselves, especially when triggered by stories in the news. These courageous mothers are beginning to recognize an intrusive thought for what it is: an intrusive thought only and a symptom of one type of anxiety, not a judgment of one’s character.
Some moms struggle with symptoms of depression and anxiety, made worse by sleep deprivation. Some feel guilty because they feel trapped, angry, and unfulfilled in motherhood and have been afraid to speak their truth for fear of being judged bad mothers. Most everyone worries about the effects of their symptoms on partners and children.
For some women, medication has been helpful. For others, individual and group therapy have helped. Still others have used a combination of all three at one time or another. All participants are angry about the stigma of “mental” illness, because it delayed them from getting help sooner and keeps other moms like them from getting the help they need now.
All want their partners to understand more about what they went through and they want to understand what their mates went through as well. And everyone shares the heartfelt desire to discard the shame and reach out to help other mothers who are in the midst of experiencing the many faces of postpartum depression.
For more information about The Postpartum Connection, contact Jana Wertheim, MS, LMFT.
972-979-6574
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