Treatment of Postpartum Depression
If a mother suffers from any symptom of post partum depression she needs treatment. Treatment of Postpartum depression is not only medicine, but she needs a proper counseling and a support group.
Type of treatment depends on some factors, such as-
- What symptoms are present and how severe the depression is
- How the symptoms impact on your daily life specially on looking after of yourself and the baby
- Whether you has history of any mental health illness
- Whether you are breast feeding your baby or not, because some drugs pass to the baby through breast milk
According to symptoms the Doctor will choose a way of treatment. Most of the patients require only support and advice, some requires medicine and others need both.
Support by family and friends
- Understanding and support of family members and friends are a great deal for the mother.
- You should talk to your close friends about how you feel
- Friends and family should share their experiences
- Some one of your nearest should take care of the baby so that you can take adequate rest
Psychological therapy
A counseling also called as therapy, done by a mental health professional, can help the patient to understand her own feelings and to cope with her day to day activities.
Medication
If the symptoms are moderate to severe, the patient needs the medicine like Anti-depressant, estrogen. It must be noted that the antidepressants need about 2 to 4 weeks to work effectively. So, do not stop the medicines after 1 or 2 week or if you feel better; you have to complete a course given by your doctor.
How long does it take to heal postpartum?
No depression case could be treated overnight. Post partum depression is a mood disorder. It needs a long term treatment. Full recovery may take weeks to year. Some women recover from PPD by the time. Some need psycho therapy and some need the medication. Some women might be suffering from chronic depression. They should be treated with time and patience.
Bottom Line
Usually the symptoms of postpartum depression go away within three months after child birth. But if the symptoms stay more than 2 weeks you will need a proper treatment of post-partum depression.
According to the reports of NCBI more than 15% mothers were affected by PPD & most of them were successfully treated with the combination of Psychological support and medication.
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