Many women may experience intense depression following childbirth. Depression may include feelings of sadness and anxiety. In many of the cases there are feelings of despair or worthlessness as well as terrifying hallucinations and fantasies. .
As Scott, January 12, 1998 outlines, women are more likely to suffer from clinical depression and anxiety disorders than men. Some medical research indicates that hormones may play a role in some mood disorders. An estimated 10-15% of new mothers suffer from post-partum depression, which may be partially linked to hormone imbalances.
The issue also touches on how estrogen and progesterone-hormones produced by the ovaries-are two key suspects. Those hormones, which increase dramatically at puberty, act on neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin, which is commonly associated with depression. "Depletion of serotonin may precipitate depression. But there are no easy answers," says psychiatrist Donna Stewart, who heads the Toronto Hospital's Women's Health Program. If an increase in estrogen can trigger depression, why is it that some postmenopausal women's moods improve with estrogen supplements? And why do sudden changes in hormone levels affect some women and not others? "The jury is out about what all of this means," says Stewart.
Women will harm their children and even kill them because of this disorder. The problem is that children, who are not physically harmed, may be mentally harmed. Most bonding between mother and child is done at time of birth and extends into early childhood. When a mother is suffering from this type of depression, that bond may be severely affected. The child may lose their appetite and have problems sleeping. Some doctors suggest taking some sort of anti-depressant during pregnancy, although it is unknown what the long-term affect may be on the child.
Many women have been successful at dealing with post-partum depression by being able to talk to their children and family about the illness.
