Postpartum depression is very common in mothers. Hormonal changes can trigger postpartum depression due to imbalances in estrogen, progestin, and thyroid. There is a blood test that can tell if a woman has it or not. What many people don't think about is that postpartum depression not only occurs in pregnant women, but also in husbands.
2% to 25% of fathers suffer from postpartum depression, and the percentage can increase to 50% if the mother also suffers from postpartum depression. There are different reasons why postpartum depression affects both mother and father. Many women feel exhausted, confused, and sleep deprived after the birth of their child and were unprepared after giving birth. This mental health illness is common, affecting 10 to 20% of new mothers. Hispanic mothers are at greater risk of developing the disease. There are different symptoms that occur, including sadness, anxiety, crying, and depression. Mothers usually experience these feelings during the first two weeks after pregnancy, but postpartum depression is longer and more intense. Other symptoms include depressed mood, abrupt mood swings, irritability, feelings of worthlessness, guilt or inadequacy, isolating yourself, insomnia, loss of energy, anger, panic attacks, thoughts of harming someone else, and thoughts of death or suicide.
As I said before, postpartum also affects the husband. Sometimes parents have difficulty establishing an attachment bond with their baby. The father may also have a lack of support, they may see abrupt changes in the relationship such as lack of intimacy, stress and it may also affect testosterone levels. Although there may not be tears, it does not mean that they do not have some type of sadness or emotional change. There are many ways that depression can manifest. If a man is suffering from these symptoms, he is more likely to turn to substance abuse, commit domestic violence, or not support his partner and worsen the relationship.
The consequences could impact the well-being of the family, especially the children. It is important to be aware of physical and mental changes. There are different risk factors for both genders, but both can take the same precautions to prevent mood disorders.
To detect postpartum depression, there is a questionnaire that can be done to both partners to distinguish if they have the beginnings of the disease.
Couples should prepare for pregnancy and be informed of the different reactions that can occur after childbirth. Maintaining good physical and mental health is important, and eating correctly is essential. Establish priorities before the baby is born to prevent chaos. The last, and perhaps the most important step is to accept help. I'm not only talking about help from family and friends, but also not denying help from a specialist if you need it.
There are different counselors who can help with psychotherapy techniques. This means that the person and the therapist have a good therapeutic relationship and that the therapist can resolve problematic beliefs, behaviors, improve self-esteem, etc.
The therapy is very effective and there are different approaches depending on what each individual needs. It is important that the couple or individual knows what each counselor consists of, because there are different letters in the degree that go after the name. The abbreviations refer to the training and preparation that the therapist has. For example, a licensed career counselor (LPC) is a person trained to treat emotional, mental health, and behavioral disorders. On the other hand, the licensed marriage and family therapist is a person who treats a wide range of mental disorders, but also helps couples and families with the problems and obstacles they have. Finally, the licensed clinical alcohol and drug abuse counselor is a specialist in working with individuals and families to address substance abuse problems.
Mothers and fathers can suffer from different problems that come from the same initial problem. In this case, the postpartum period affects women and men differently. It may be that the couple needs therapy together to fight for the marriage that is being affected, or it may be that each person needs therapy for different mental or emotional disorders. The first step in finding help is finding someone who understands the problem and can guide the client. Both people may not need the same type of therapy because postpartum affects each individual differently.
Alessandra is a bilingual individual, couples, family, and group therapist at Therapy Works Counseling in Frisco and Dallas.
In addition to being a psychologist, Ale enjoys her family, friends, and dancing!
