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Help for Coping with Motherhood and Depression

By TherapistSchools

Many women feel that motherhood will deliver them into a blissful state of happiness. But in reality, many new mothers get into an awful state of depression months after giving birth. It may be due to hormones, medical issues, exceedingly high expectations, and many others. Post- partum depression is perfectly normal. What makes the situation bad is when these new mothers try to hide their depression because of guilt. Some mothers feel as though they’re betraying their child by not being a happy mother.

If you’re a mom who’s guilty for suffering from post-partum depression, here are some ways you can get rid of that guilt:

Accept that Motherhood is Hard

Accepting this fact is the first step to recovery. Contrary to childhood idealism, motherhood is not supposed to make everything peaches and cream. Those mothers who always look blissful while taking their kids out for a stroll have their moments, too. For sure there were times when they’re about to throw everything out the windows in frustration. Motherhood is hard and it requires hard work. Accept that.

Good Mothers Get Depressed

It is not your fault that you’re depressed. It’s perfectly normal and absolutely okay to feel down even if you have the baby you’ve been longing to have. After all, depression isn’t something you asked for. It’s something that came and slowly enveloped itself around you. If you had the choice, you most certainly wouldn’t welcome it during this time of your life. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Although you’re now a mother, you must bear in mind that mothers are still women with the same emotions as any other woman. So you have the blues? That’s alright.

Rule Out Medical Causes

Before doing yoga and reading self-help books, you have to rule out medical causes first. Are you taking meds? If so, you have to ask your physician if they can cause depression. You may even Google it beforehand to save time. There are certain medicines that may trigger depression so it is important you rule out medical causes before anything else. While you’re at it, ask your doctor what foods to stay away from to avoid the blues.

Learn from Other Mom’s Experiences

Confide in someone. Just saying it out loud can lift a portion of the burden. If you know some mothers that experienced depression, seek for their advice. If you do not know anyone, you may join group therapy for new mothers. In group therapy, members discuss their issues and give feedback to others.

Make sure your therapists graduated from a group therapist school to ensure you get the best assistance you need. Simply being with people will give you the feeling that you are not alone. If you’re too tired to talk to people, the next best thing is a good book. Read self-help books and learn how to slowly get rid of the blues.

Let Your Support Group Know

Do not hide your depression from your husband, mom, and other family members. You should let them know what you’re going through so they can help you better. Hopefully, this will make your husband become more understanding. You should also ask your mom or sister to visit once in a while to help you take care of the baby while you get your rest. Somehow, just having people who are sympathetic of your situation can make everything better.

Don’t Force It

Step out of the house and get out in the sun. Talk to people. Do yoga. But don’t expect depression to go away instantly after doing all these things. It takes time. There is no point in forcing it. Sure, you can fake it for some time, but there’s a big chance it will come back if you force it. Give it some time.

About the Author

There is no one pat answer for depression. Just remember it's okay for mother’s to get depressed and it won’t last forever. If you want to know more about depression and if you are interested in a career in therapy, visit TherapistSchools.com.

Disclaimer:

The above guest post is published based on the premise that it will be helpful and informative. The opinions made within it are those of the author and not of sunnyray.org. The links you may find within this post do not necessarily imply our recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

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