Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders FAQ
What does perinatal mean?
Perinatal is the time between conception through first year postpartum. Prenatal is the period between conception and delivery. Postpartum is the period between birth through the first year of the child’s life.
What are perinatal mood and anxiety disorders?
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are a classification of disorders that occur during the perinatal period. The disorders that fall under this category are perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety, perinatal obsessive compulsive disorder, perinatal post traumatic stress disorder and perinatal psychosis. Each of these diagnoses have unique features during the perinatal period, which makes them in a class of their own.
What makes perinatal mood and anxiety disorders different from regular disorders you typically hear about?
What makes this class of disorders unique are the themes that are presented while they are expressed. These themes typically revolve around the perinatal period (i.e. the baby, the experience, the sense of identity loss, the change in community etc.).
How common are perinatal mood and anxiety disorders?
1 in 7 women are diagnosed with a perinatal mood and/or anxiety disorder during the perinatal period and that number jumps up to 1 in 5 after 4 months postpartum. 1 in 10 men are diagnosed with a perinatal mood and/or anxiety disorder during the perinatal period…yes...men can get these too!
What about just regular hormone fluctuations?
Yes, there are hormonal fluctuations that are normal during the perinatal period, however it is when these symptoms are impacting daily life (i.e. relationships, work, caring for the baby, self esteem etc.) that they rise to the level of a disorder and warrant extra support.
I know that there are medications to help with this, but what else is there?
Although there are medications out there that you can talk to your doctor about, there are other ways to get the support needed during this time. It is very important to seek out a therapist certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C), who is trained and well versed in this area, to support you on your journey. In addition, exercise (when approved by a doctor), yoga, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic care, healthy nutrition, and community support, such as mommy and me groups, are wonderful ways to get the support needed on the path to healing. Treatment is not one size fits all, so it is important to understand what your needs are and what you are willing to try rather than forcing yourself to do something that may lead to disappointment. This journey is unique to each individual and should be structured as so.
