How terrible is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is a frightening illness, heavily related to psychology, and seriously affects the health not only of the mother but also of the newborn baby.

Postpartum depression – a concept that sounds vague, but most mothers experience it after giving birth. Postpartum depression can begin with mild symptoms such as lethargy, reduced appetite, poor sleep, and frequent crying. If left undetected and untreated, it can lead to milder symptoms such as withdrawn behavior, frequent anxiety, negative thoughts, and even harming/killing the baby and suicide.

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1. What is the scariest thing about depression?

The most frightening aspect of depression is when a mother engages in harmful behaviors towards her child, both physically and psychologically. These will have severe, long-lasting effects, imprinted in the child's memory, leading to distorted and incomplete development as they grow up.

2. How does depression significantly affect children?

Depression can significantly impact the mother-child bond. When a mother is constantly anxious, sad, and experiencing negative thoughts and despair, she cannot enjoy happy moments with her child. The quality of breast milk also decreases significantly, depriving the child of precious breast milk and hindering their healthy development. Furthermore, the lack of playtime with the child can also hinder their development.

The 'scary' secrets of postpartum depression

3. What happens to depression if it is left untreated?

If depression is not detected and treated promptly, it will worsen, causing significant psychological trauma, and the mother may even attempt suicide or engage in other irrational behaviors.

4. Depression is very difficult to detect.

It's very difficult for mothers themselves to recognize that they are experiencing postpartum depression. The same goes for family and loved ones. People often assume these symptoms are normal postpartum, due to temporary sadness from confinement or postpartum emotional instability.

5. Mothers aren't the only ones who suffer from depression.

Many real-life cases show that it's not just mothers who suffer from depression; fathers also experience mild symptoms of depression due to their inability to adapt to life with young children and new responsibilities.

6. Risk of depression

Women who have been victims of domestic violence or physical abuse in childhood are more likely to experience postpartum depression than other women.

Additionally, women who do not have happy marriages are also at a higher risk of postpartum depression.

7. Depression is treatable.

Many people mistakenly believe that postpartum depression is incurable. However, numerous studies indicate that with psychological therapies and lifestyle changes, depression is entirely treatable.

According to PN&GĐ