Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Postpartum Women

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.