What is Postpartum Anxiety and What are the Signs and Symptoms?
Worrying after the birth of your child is normal! Are they sleeping well, are they eating enough, are they crying more than they should? These are all normal and valid concerns that can cause anxiety in a mother. But sometimes it’s more than that. Sometimes, the worry is so excessive that it can be crippling – and that’s when you may start to feel like you aren’t yourself anymore. This is what is referred to as postpartum anxiety – and it is classified as excessive worrying about yourself, or the baby following giving birth and can cause such distress that it can inhibit your daily functioning. It’s important to know what postpartum anxiety is, as well as the signs and symptoms so that you and/or your partner can be proactive in recognizing if you may be experiencing this!
Psychological Symptoms…
There is a difference between worrying and experiencing postpartum anxiety. Postpartum anxiety is typically characterized by excessive, nearly constant worrying that is not able to be soothed. So, if you are feeling a lot of worries, you feel like you can’t turn your brain off, and it doesn’t ever really “stop” – then it might be beneficial to seek the help of a therapist specializing in postpartum anxiety. Another sign to look out for is feelings of dread or catastrophic thinking surrounding things that you fear will happen. Catastrophic thinking is “worst case scenario” thinking – so this means that you may be afraid that something will happen to your baby, and you cannot help but obsess over that possibility to the point that you are full of dread and fear. Again, if you are experiencing this level of fear and dread regularly – it may be time to seek help. Sleep disruption is another very common sign/symptom of postpartum anxiety – and it may be difficult to determine whether you are lacking sleep due to anxiety or lacking sleep due to your new baby. However, if you are noticing that your baby is sound asleep, you are exhausted, and you cannot get your mind to calm enough to sleep – this is likely due to postpartum anxiety!
Physical Symptoms…
In addition to the psychological symptoms that women face when struggling with postpartum anxiety, there are also physical symptoms because anxiety causes a lot of body distress. Some physical symptoms to be aware of when you are struggling with postpartum anxiety are, fatigue, heart palpitations, sweating, shakiness, nausea and possibly vomiting, and hyperventilating. The fatigue is often associated with sleep disturbance and struggling to shut your brain off enough to feel well-rested. Heart palpitations are frequently associated with anxiety due to your body constantly being in the “fight or flight” stress response. This is what can also cause sweating and shakiness. Some people experience nausea and vomiting when they are struggling with postpartum anxiety because anxiety really affects to the gastrointestinal system – due to the chronic stress on your body (again, think constant “fight or flight” response). That can, unfortunately, cause some people to feel nauseous and can even cause vomiting in some individuals. Finally, hyperventilating – is often associated with a panic attack which is something that is somewhat common for individuals with postpartum anxiety. Many people refer to panic attacks as “anxiety attacks”. It is important to remember that while panic attacks are caused by anxiety – they are their own entity because not everyone that has anxiety will experience full panic attacks. Oftentimes, when people begin to “spiral” into their anxious thoughts, a panic attack can occur, and often presents as difficulty breathing, hyperventilating, sweating, chest tightness or chest pain, and feeling shaky and dizzy.
When Should I Seek Help?...
If you are experiencing any combination of these psychological and physical symptoms, regardless of severity, it is important to seek help from a trained professional. The best professional to seek help from is a therapist trained in addressing postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression. It would also be beneficial to seek advice from your medical doctor to rule out any physical illnesses that may share some symptoms.
The important thing to remember is, if you are experiencing anything that makes you feel like you aren’t “normal” or like you “aren’t yourself” – it is important to ask for help!
How We Can Help…
We are a team of trained professionals that practice anxiety treatment in Miami, FL but also specialize in postpartum anxiety treatment in Miami, FL! We know that the postpartum period is an amazing but also a scary time for any mother, and we want to be able to support you on your motherhood journey! Oftentimes, postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression seem to sneak up on you and they can leave you feeling like you aren’t doing a good job.
We are here to help you recognize that that isn’t the case. You are doing an amazing job and asking for help is a testament to the strength and resilience you have!
If you are experiencing postpartum anxiety in Miami, FL or maybe you are experiencing postpartum blues in Miami, FL – we are here to help! We have many therapeutic services to new mothers, and we’d love to show you what we have to offer! Maybe you aren’t located in Miami, but you are still looking for online anxiety therapy in Florida or online postpartum support in Florida – we do also offer virtual services! Reach out to us today, we are looking forward to hearing from you!
Reference material obtained from: HealthLine “What You Need to Know About Postpartum Anxiety.”
https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/postpartum-anxiety.