Breaking The Cycle of Postpartum Depression

When a woman has a baby it's expected that it will be one of the happiest times in her life but in this week's Break The Cycle report we learn that sometimes the reality is very different.

The joy that is so often talked about with a new baby can quickly turn to what is called postpartum depression, and the surprising part is just how common it is. One in four women will experience it and most are taken completely by surprise when it happens

Carla Hollingsworth can smile and joke now when she

visits the maternity ward at Providence hospital but for a long time after her son Caleb was born she had a hard time doing either. “It's been really really hard, people would walk up and say. Aren't you having a blast? And right now I am. but when he was little I would be like no, I'm not “.

Though she didn't know it then, Carla was suffering from postpartum depression, which in her case felt like high anxiety. She was obsessive about the baby and at the same time overwhelmed and totally perplexed that she didn't seem up to the challenges of motherhood.

Carla says research on the Internet frightened her even more about what could happen if she didn't get treatment. “Physically, if I go off some kind of deep end then I could harm my child and it was shocking so. this was serious. it's not just Carla can't get her act together. this has consequences”.

But as serious as the situation is, it is also quite common.

Margi Clifford is a counselor at Providence Hospital who works to break the cycle of postpartum depression. She says nearly 25% of new moms in Alaska experience a serious mood disorder. “So that's 1 in 4 ..of your 4 girlfriends who have a baby that's one of them and

we're not talking about the normal adjustment that includes baby blues and some weepiness and hormonal adjustment. We're talking about more of the debilitating and serious mood disorders that would really benefit from being identified and treated. Friends and family can be some of the best eyes for noting when something seems really wrong. "

Carla says in her case it was a friend who got her pointed in the right direction. “I only went to the doctor because my friend said this is not right Carla, you've called me crying two weeks in a row there's something off and I know you and you need to go get this checked out."

Carla says talking to the right person made a huge difference in helping to break the cycle of postpartum depression.

Margi says she can be that resource for Alaskan women in need. “I'm available through Providence as a community based hospital I'm available to do assessments for moms so you can call me or you can e-mail me and I can help you understand that scale of severity from moderate to severe and help you decide what kind of treatment might be appropriate."

Some of the treatment options include counseling and anti depressants. Support groups like they have at Providence can be a huge help.

If you'd like more information on support groups or have questions about postpartum depression or other parenting issues you can call Margi Clifford at Providence at 261-2065 or email her at Margaret.Clifford@providence.org.

You can also find out information on the Providence website at www.providence.og/childrenshospital.

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.