4 days Ago By Ben.Gill
Why Some New Mothers Struggle with Postpartum Anxiety or Postpartum OCD Share This article While the birth of a baby brings tremendous joy to new parents, it can also bring stress. Sleep deprivation and other issues can take their toll, especially on the mother. Two mental health challenges that often go unnoticed and untreated are postpartum anxiety and postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder.
When Renee Mandy became a mother, she wondered whether her constant worry about her baby's safety was normal. "Always wanting to make sure she was breathing okay, head was positioned okay, when we were out in public I was very cautious about if we went into crowded areas," she told CBN News. Her negative thoughts began to overwhelm her.
"Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's going to happen, something's going to happen. But at just a very exaggerated level to where it was hindering everyday life," she said. Postpartum Anxiety Renee sought help from Dr.
Jenny Yip, psychologist and author of the book Hello Baby, Goodbye Intrusive Thoughts , who diagnosed Renee with postpartum anxiety. "This is when women feel like they're constantly worrying," Dr. Yip told CBN News.
"They're ruminating about possible catastrophes and obviously that would interfere with your functioning." Dr. Yip says managing this condition involves talking through fears and minimizing expectations combined with a proper diet, exercise, and sleep, when possible.
Renee said this approach helps relieve her anxiety. "That mentality pushed me through some of my toughest days," she said, "When I felt like I was failing, I felt like I was struggling, just adapting that really helped." Postpartum OCD In addition to postpartum anxiety, a number of new moms suffer from a different condition called Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
That's when she can't stop thinking about something bad happening to her baby, and engages in repetitive behavior in an attempt to prevent it from happening." Those behaviors, called compulsions, can be difficult to control. "There's a lot of mental, magical, compulsions where you might have good numbers, or bad numbers, or you might have superstitious routines that you engage in, to ensure that the intrusive thoughts will not come true," explained Dr.
Yip. Unfortunately, that plan often backfires. "Every time you engage in a compulsion, you're only reinforcing OCD and the fear itself," said Dr.
Yip. Dr. Yip believes by helping patients talk through these fears, that they can eventually let go of their compulsive behaviors.
"Number one, you are getting corrective feedback that your intrusive thoughts are not as dangerous as the credence that you give it," said Dr. Yip. "Number two, you're getting confidence that you can tolerate this discomfort without doing any compulsions.
" So while anxiety and OCD can grip new mothers, there are ways to minimize the emotional distress and enjoy this blessed time of life. Share This article About The Author.
