Coping with Scary Thoughts and Postpartum Anxiety
Following a difficult pregnancy, a traumatic birth, or attempting to adjust to life as a new mother…comes with a lot of unique feelings, fears, and struggles. Finding a way to manage and cope with these feelings can be incredibly difficult, because the reality is that you likely feel overwhelmed, confused, and alone. Well, the most important thing to remember is that you are not alone! Postpartum anxiety affects about 10% of women, and postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 7 women (Abramson, 2020). These are significant statistics, however, oftentimes women don’t report struggling with these concerns because they don’t want to look like “bad mothers” and are afraid of being judged/looked at negatively. Counseling for postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression can be incredibly beneficial, but there are also a few other coping strategies that can be helpful in getting through this difficult time.
Seek Out Support, like Therapy or Counseling for Anxiety
It can be incredibly difficult to reach out to loved ones for help because of fear of being judged. However, it is important to seek support from someone. A counselor for anxiety of therapist for anxiety can be helpful as there is no judgment from them. There are a lot of in-person and virtual support groups for women that are experiencing similar feelings. While each individual’s story and symptoms are unique – many women experience feelings of postpartum anxiety and depression! It is important to find your unique support group and find a place that you feel safe expressing these feelings to others that understand! Talking to your friends and family can be incredibly beneficial, but not something everyone feels comfortable doing, and that is okay. The most important thing you can do is find someone that you can talk to – friends, family, other mother’s experiencing similar feelings – because you need to be heard and you need to be able to express those complicated feelings. Being able to talk about them is the first step to processing.
Make Lifestyle Changes that Support your Mental Health
Your life has just changed dramatically, and I imagine you are scrambling to figure out your new routine and way of life! That’s completely normal – but I would encourage you to find a “happy balance”! One way of helping to manage the symptoms of postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or just general feelings of fear is to find a balance in your life that allows you to be there for your new family – but also allows for some personal time for yourself. Self-care is incredibly important, and many new mothers tend to forget about self-care and lose themselves in their new responsibilities because they don’t want to be viewed as “selfish” for taking some time for themselves. It is important to take time for yourself to let yourself recharge! You can’t be the best for your family if you aren’t the best for yourself. I would encourage you to take some time out of your day to do something that you enjoy! Go for a walk, spend an hour taking a nap, reading a book – find something that brings you joy, and allow yourself to take some time to do it!
Find A Therapist or Counselor that Specializes in Postpartum Anxiety
The above-mentioned coping strategies are incredibly important and can help combat the symptoms of postpartum anxiety and depression – however, the best thing you can do is seek the help of a professional therapist that specializes in postpartum anxiety and depression. Accepting help from a professional can be incredibly difficult – you are letting a new person in, in probably one of the most difficult times of your life. However, finding a therapist and allowing yourself to open up to this individual can dramatically decrease the burden you are feeling – and gives you a safe space to “unload” all of your feelings!
We offer Counseling in Miami, FL and Online Counseling in Florida for Postpartum Anxiety and Depression
We are a team of therapists in Miami that specialize in working with individuals’ who may have postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. If you feel that you are struggling with postpartum depression in Miami or postpartum anxiety in Florida or maybe you just feel like you are dealing with “postpartum blues” in Miami. we are the practice to reach out to. We offer many different types of counseling in Miami – but we have a team of specialists that would love to chat with you about your postpartum struggles and help you process some of those troubling feelings. If you think you might benefit from our services, please feel free to reach out today!
Reference material obtained from Abramson, A. (2020). This Is What Postpartum Anxiety Feels Like. New York Times. Retrieved on September 25, 2021 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/parenting/postpartum-anxiety.html?.?mc=aud_dev&ad-keywords=auddevgate&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMCKBhDAARIsAG-2Eu9gVd53-sq5FiMwr1fmn2lYt3CzduLgkfkwxSxDWPuRaxaNnM0qj4IaAmpAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds.