If your depression after giving birth is chronic and above the clinical threshold, you're likely to experience postpartum depression for at least six months. A report in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry reviewed studies from 1985 to 2012 that collected data on the length of postpartum depression, and found that 50% of patients diagnosed with postpartum depression felt symptoms for more than a year, and 30% still exhibited symptoms after three years.
Of course, there's never an easy, singular answer to the length of time that a patient will spend struggling with chronic mental disabilities. However, there are trends among women with depression after pregnancy that help us determine the general time length of postpartum depression and the reasons why it may be longer or shorter.
What Causes Postpartum Depression to Lengthen?
Postpartum depression occurs within the first four to six weeks after giving birth, but it can be easily confused with the "Baby Blues," a short period of depression after birth that affects about 70% of women but disappears within the first few weeks post-pregnancy. If your depression lasts longer, it's imperative to your recovery to identify it quickly and address it. Getting timely treatment can help shorten the period you suffer from depression.
Some of the following contributing factors may also exacerbate the symptoms and length of your postpartum depression.
Poor Partner Relationships
Postpartum depression worsens if it has a direct cause. Disagreements and fights with significant others increase the levels of depressive chemicals in the brain to levels even higher than those caused by clinical depression. A brain bombarded with negativity will have a hard time finding stimulation to return the balance of chemicals to normal.
Try your best to help your partner understand that your depression is a medical condition and that recovery will require unforeseen amounts of support and understanding. Accept that postpartum depression is a battle that should not be fought alone and seek the help you need to repair your relationships. You'll simultaneously increase the breadth of your support system and counteract a major contributor to depression.
Hesitance to Seek Help
Self-identifying and seeking help for postpartum depression is one of the best ways to prevent the period of sadness and hopelessness from stretching too far. As with many diseases, the earlier you seek help, the more likely you are to see a reduced length of your postpartum depression symptoms.
Doctors and psychiatrists now have tools available to help you manage your depression until you reach a stage at which you can control your emotions on your own. Building a consistent support system that includes assistance at the doctor's office, at home, and at work can change the way you view your condition surprisingly quickly.
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| This survey of Utah women reporting postpartum depression by age group shows that women suffering the disorder are not alone. Source: Utah.gov |
Stress
Stress comes from many different sources and bombards everyone daily. However, stress management for those without postpartum depression is significantly easier than it is for those who have chronic post-baby depression.
Try anti-stress exercises to relieve some of the pressure that can cause or worsen postpartum depression. Take time during the day to relax and breathe, and ensure that you get enough sleep to be able to manage your feelings in a logical and well-considered manner. Let your friends and family bear the burden of child raising, even if you feel guilty or personally responsible for the baby's every need.
Pre-Existing Depression
Depression stacked with more depression spells trouble. Postpartum depression affects similar areas of the brain and some unique ones as well, which means that the range of your pre-existing depression may expand to include more new negative thoughts when coupled with postpartum depression.
Talk to your doctors about your depression during and immediately following the birth of your child to ensure that you receive solid recommendations about how to deal with the baby blues and postpartum depression. You'll need more tools than you did before to hasten your recovery.
Seek Help Fast
Getting help early can help speed up your recovery and reduce the length of postpartum depression. Chronic depression is prone to intensification over time, and postpartum depression is no exception. Get in touch with your physician if you're unsure where to start, and seek the help of the important people in your life so you don't have to worry about the minutia of getting the help you need.
