How to Spot Postpartum Depression

November 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Postpartum depression is a potentially serious problem that affects up to about 30 percent of women after they give birth. Postpartum depression is a type of clinical depression that can last anywhere from a few weeks up to over a year in women after they have their child. There are many symptoms that could be expressed. Fatigue, crying, sadness, irritability, and anxiety are all very common when dealing with postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression different from the “baby blues”. Many women deal with moodiness and slight depression both in pregnancy and after the baby is born. This is considered the “baby blues” and has been shown to happen to about 80 percent of women who become pregnant. With the “baby blues” a woman may exhibit some of the same signs as with postpartum depression, but these symptoms are generally not nearly as severe or long lasting.

Though all of the causes of postpartum depression are not known, some things have been shown to have an affect on whether or not a woman develops the disorder. Starting off with low self esteem can cause the problem to worsen. It has been shown that if a woman bottle feeds, rather than breast feeds, she is more likely to develop the depression. If she already has a history of depression, this can be a factor as well. There are many things that can contribute to the clinical depression of postpartum depression. The change in hormone levels after birth have also been said to be a huge factor in the disorder.

Early detection of postpartum depression can be extremely helpful. Understanding what postpartum depression is, and how it affects you is important for all new mothers to understand. If a new mother is feeling depression, and it has lasted for longer than a few days, it is suggested to talk to her doctor about the problem.

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Why Avoidant Personality Disorder can be Painful to Live With

November 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A person over the age of eighteen that exhibits feeling of inadequacy, a significant social interaction avoidance, social inhibition, and feeling of inadequacy may have avoidant personality disorder. Sometimes when a person describes themselves as socially awkward, or not able to work well in social situations, they may have this disorder. People with avoidant personality disorder can be extremely sensitive to negativity, and they may avoid social things because they are worried about being rejected, humiliated, or disliked. Generally this disorder is seen when a person is an adult. A lot of times it develops because of these things, such as humiliation as a child.

Though the actual cause of avoidant personality disorder has not been defined clearly, most believe that it is mostly a combination of social and psychological aspects. Many people who develop avoidant personality disorder later in life may have had traumatic events such as parental neglect, or harassment or rejection from their peers in school.

Avoidant personality disorder has very similar symptoms to social anxiety disorders. There are some differences, though. For example, those with avoidant personality disorder will monitor not only themselves, but also the reactions of those around them. In fact, they may be so busy monitoring everyone and their reactions that speaking fluently may become difficult in some situations. Many people who suffer this disorder also suffer from anxiety disorders. Because of the stress of dealing with social situations may cause panic attacks in people with avoidant personality disorder.

The biggest form of treatment for avoidant personality disorder is exposure to social situations, social skills training and group therapy. Occasionally a drug therapy is used, but this tends to be more for the anxiety issues than for anything else related to the avoidant personality disorder. The main point of the therapy is to get the patient to start challenging their own negative thoughts about themselves.

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A Start to Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Better

November 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Obsessive compulsive disorder has become fairly well known. It has been portrayed many times in books, television, and movies. Because of this, it has become a much more widely understood disorder. On the other hand, these mediums have also made it so that some misconceptions about the disorder have been spread, as well.

Many people think that with obsessive compulsive disorder, a person either has to obsessively wash their hands because of germs, or that they have an obsession with numbers. Though these things can be true, they in no way, shape, or form encompass all that it means to have obsessive compulsive disorder. In fact, the disorder manifests in many different ways and in fact, many different levels of severity.

With obsessive compulsive disorder, a person can have compulsions, which are repetitive actions or behaviors, or they can be thoughts that are obsessive. Hand washing that’s repetitive has been the most frequently portrayed form of obsessive compulsive disorder, though it is only one form the disorder takes. Having to open and close a door a specific number of times before being able to leave a room is another form that the disorder can take. These obsessions and compulsions that go with the disorder are frequently time consuming. They can also cause a person to become alienated from their friends, families, and coworkers. The truth of the matter is, is that most people who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder actually understand that what they are doing and thinking is irrational, but they also don’t have much control over the actions or thoughts.

Many do not understand that obsessive compulsive disorder is actually ranked number four in the most common mental disorders that there are. In fact, about two in every hundred adults in the United States suffer from the disorder. Since this disorder affects so many people, it is felt that it should be better understood.

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Learn to Cope with Stress

November 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Everyone deals with stress on a daily basis. Each person also deals with stress in his or her own way. Learning to undersand, reduce, and cope with stress are important aspects that many people have learned, and even more nead to understand.

One of the first things that you will want to do is to identify and learn to spot the sources in your life that lead to stress. For many people, this is not as obvious as it sounds. For example, you may undestand and know that your work is stressful, and dealing with your boss or clients causes stress in your life. But finding the reasons behind this, and the thought processes that you have that lead to the stress may be more difficult to identify.

Next, you will need to understand how you currently deal with your stress. There are both good and bad ways to deal with stress. In general, most people deal with stress by turning to bad habits, such as smoking, withdrawing from family or frineds, oversleeping, or drinking too much. These things can be harmful in the long run. Other people find better ways to deal with their stress, like excercising or journaling. These types of coping mechanisms are not harmful, and can actually be helpful.

One thing to learn is how and when to avoid stress. Avoiding stress that is unnecessary is an important part of dealing with stress when you can’t avoid it. If a particular person makes you feel stressed, avoid them as much as possible. Learn to say no. If you don’t feel that you can take on another project, don’t hesitate to say so. If there are certain topics that you get riled up about, such as politics or religion, do not get into debates about them whenever possible.

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