Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition that affects many people around the country. An estimated 31.1% of adults in the United States have experienced anxiety at some point in their lives.1 Postpartum anxiety affects new mothers and causes them to experience excessive worry, fear, and nervousness about their baby and themselves. It can complicate raising a child and can lead to depression and substance abuse if they don’t seek help.
The Ranch PA is a full-service mental health treatment center that welcomes women who are experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression after giving birth to their child. Our anxiety treatment program focuses on your symptoms and the reasons you are here, even treating substance use disorders (SUDs) that may develop as co-occurring conditions. We have separate men’s and women’s rehab programs to help you better understand your symptoms and how best to manage them.
Recognizing postpartum anxiety
Postpartum anxiety is a relatively new condition that is similar to postpartum depression but has some unique symptoms and characteristics that make it unique. It is not just a case of “new mom nerves.” It is a real condition that affects millions of women after they give birth. Symptoms are persistent and often interfere with everyday activities and caring for their newborn children.
If you’re uncertain whether you may have postpartum anxiety, some common symptoms to look out for include:
- Excessive worry: Symptoms include constant, overwhelming fear out of proportion with reality. They can have obsessive thoughts about their baby’s health, feeding, sleep, and safety.
- Physical symptoms: A racing heart rate, tightness in the chest, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, muscle tension, shakiness, and difficulty sleeping are common symptoms.
- Difficulty concentrating: Women may have trouble focusing or remembering things and feel mentally foggy or distracted throughout the day.
- Sleep and appetite changes: Postpartum anxiety can cause you to experience insomnia or have trouble staying asleep. They may experience a decrease in appetite and weight loss.
- Intrusive thoughts: You may experience disturbing, distressing, and unwanted thoughts that may feel scary or shameful, such as imagining accidentally harming the baby.
Experiencing these symptoms for more than a few weeks, especially if they interfere with caring for your child, is a sign that you should seek help immediately. Without intervention, symptoms may worsen and could lead to co-occurring disorders involving either depression or substance abuse.
Managing postpartum depression
If you are struggling with postpartum depression (PPD), support is available. Professional programs include medication, behavioral therapy, and holistic therapy to create a whole-person treatment experience.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the top therapeutic methods for treating all types of depression. It focuses on the real reasons behind the condition and the behaviors it creates. They then use various methods to identify triggers and find new behaviors to replace the old ones.
Other behavioral therapies used to treat postpartum depression include:
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
Medication-assisted treatment
Medication helps ease depressive or anxiety symptoms and provides clients with relief. Medical staff will administer medications based on your individual plan. They will monitor you for any adverse reactions and make adjustments as necessary. Over time, as your symptoms diminish, they will begin tapering you off the medication until it’s no longer needed.
Lifestyle changes
One thing you will learn while managing postpartum depression is that you can help reduce disturbing symptoms by making some lifestyle changes. Healthcare professionals will teach you the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, how to shop and cook healthy meals, and the benefits of starting an exercise plan.
You will learn the importance of setting goals and building healthy routines during therapy.
Building a support system
A great benefit of treating postpartum anxiety or depression is the friendships you will make with the other women who are going through the same thing. You will bond over group discussions, role-playing games, and other activities. These relationships can support you, be there for you when times are tough, and help keep you mentally healthy.
Connect with The Ranch PA today for anxiety treatment
Recovery Ranch PA welcomes people from all walks of life who are struggling with postpartum anxiety or depression and want help in feeling better. When you trust us with your mental health, we will create a customizable program that can include cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness practices, and medical support. You’ll work one-on-one with a professional therapist who will dive deep to understand the real reason behind your issues and develop healthy coping skills to manage your symptoms more effectively.
If you are struggling with postpartum anxiety and want help, use our online form to send us a message or call 717.969.9126 today to schedule a consultation.
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