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Perinatal Depression
Quiz
Therapy in
Philadelphia
Take the quiz to
determine what type of depression you or a loved one are suffering
from. Regular Depression VS Perinatal Depression. Are you pregnant or
recently had a child? If yes, then ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you
experience extreme sadness?
- Do you feel
inappropriately guilty?
- Do you feel
depressed?
- Do you feel
anxious?
- Do you feel
hopeless?
- Do you have
low self-esteem?
- Do you feel a
sense of inadequacy?
- Have you
experienced a loss of appetite?
- Are you
physically agitated?
- Do you have
less energy than normal?
- Do you
experience an inability to make decisions?
- Are you
having suicidal thoughts?
- Are you
having homicidal thoughts?
Scoring:
If you answered
yes to at least five of the questions, then you, or your loved one are
likely suffering from a perinatal (during and after pregnancy) mood
disorder and would benefit from an evaluation by a professional.
If you answered
yes to having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, then you should seek
immediate assistance. Contact the caregiver who delivered your baby and
ask for help. If she/he is not available, go to closest emergency room
and ask for a psychiatric evaluation.
Remember:
- Women, who
have a history of depression, or are undergoing stressful life
events are at a higher risk than for experiencing a perinatal mood
disorder.
- Just because
women in all normal pregnancies experience exhaustion, appetite
changes, poor sleep, which is similar to typical signs of
depression, does not mean you are not depressed. Depression is
real.
Depression is a
common problem during and after pregnancy. Pregnancy is a life altering
stage in life, both physically and mentally. Often depression is not
recognized or treated because ‘healthy’ pregnancy cause women to
experience similar symptoms: body weight changes, sleep disturbances
(peeing throughout the night, crying babies who need food), exhaustion
(your body is working double time while pregnant and than after the baby
is born, you are catering to a child eats and sleeps in 2-3 hour
increments.) Women who simply feel like they have the baby blues may
benefit from the same resources as women who have postpartum
depression. Consider joining a baby blues support group a postpartum
depression support group or enrolling in some mommy and me classes.
To learn about the support
groups that we offer, go to
http://www.sextherapyinphiladelphia.com/support_groups_in_philadelphia.htm
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