When we think of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder we usually
associate it with combat, physical/sexual abuse, accidents and natural
disasters. But PTSD is actually more prevalent than one would think, especially
for postpartum women.
A traumatic event is one that causes intense fear and helplessness.
This fear and helplessness can be short lived or sustained over a long
period of time. Recent advances in brain
research have led to the understanding that PTSD is a whole body reaction.
Causes of PTSD in postpartum women, can result from
stressful circumstances or complications before, during or after giving birth
or the re-activation of an earlier trauma.
It’s important to understand that it’s the feeling of danger and
helplessness that cause PTSD. The
body doesn’t know if the fear is reality based or not. This is important because even if you
believe, for whatever reason, that you and/or your baby are in danger and in
the end everything is fine, your body has still registered the fear and
helplessness of that belief, however fleeting it might have been. Your mind may
know that the danger has passed but your body needs some time to calm down.
So if you find yourself as a postpartum mom having intensely
uncomfortable emotional reactions that seem inappropriate to the situation, you
may be suffering from PTSD. Efforts to
avoid the discomfort without understanding can prolong symptoms and cause
further emotional complications such as detachment and inability to bond with
your baby. Short-term psychotherapy can
help you identify and understand what you’re feeling, give you a safe place to
talk about the pregnancy, birth and current feelings, as well as educate you and
your family about PTSD.
