How to Treat Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is an illness that women, and some men, endure after childbirth. It is due to hormonal changes that affect chemicals in the brain. The level of this illness can be affected by different life factors, such as inadequate support from a partner, illness, isolation, moving and financial issues. It becomes a life-threatening illness if the patient begins to have suicidal thoughts. This illness is treatable. Read on to learn more about how to treat postpartum depression.

Things You'll Need

• Psychologist, psychiatrist or medical doctor

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Instructions

• 1

  Make an appointment with a psychologist who can offer counseling sessions. At these sessions, he may listen to you and help you sort through the issues that are contributing to your postpartum depression. If the psychologist feels that your illness is severe enough to warrant the use of medication, he may refer you to a psychiatrist.

• 2

  See a psychiatrist, a mental-health professional who will study your patient history and current situation to determine whether you are suffering from a mental illness. If the doctor determines that this is so, she will determine the stage of your illness and decide how to treat it. She may recommend therapy, antidepressants or a combination treatment of antidepressants and counseling.

• 3

  Ask your doctor to treat your depression with hormone therapy, as the rapid drop in estrogen levels after childbirth contributes to postpartum depression. Hormone therapy treats the illness with an infusion of estrogen to slow the process down. The downside of this type of treatment is the decrease in breast milk for breastfeeding mothers and the possibility of blood clots in the legs and lungs.

• 4

  Expect this illness to go away after a few months with proper treatment. Be aware, however, that symptoms may linger for months or years after treatment. Make sure you practice any coping methods you may have learned in your therapy sessions to keep the depression at bay.

• 5

  Take your prescribed medication as directed. Refill your prescription ahead of time, so that you never run out of your medication, and try not to miss taking a dose.