Helping Husbands and Spouses of Women with PPD
Can Men Get Postpartum Depression? By LANA BARHUM Postpartum Depression in Men Parenting is hard – plain and simple. And being a new dad can be pretty overwhelming. It is stressful, and there are sleepless nights for both you and partner. All of that has it affects.
- When I get depression I just let it take its course til it's gone. I feel it getting bad because I think in my head I feel regret. I am asking if men getting postpartum is a real thing or am I really being dramatic? I love my family and I want to love my life. Is there anything I can do about my situation?
- Yes, Postpartum Depression in Men Is Very Real. While we typically associate postpartum depression with women, new fathers can experience serious mood changes after bringing baby home, too.
- As an expert on postpartum mental health, I get this question all the time. And the answer is: 'Yes'. Men can, and do, get depressed after the baby comes and even during pregnancy. In fact, depression in new dads has its own name: Paternal Postnatal Depression.
Postpartum depression is a devastating condition that not only affects the mother but can affect her husband or partner as well. There are many reasons for this and it is important for spouses to know that they do not have to suffer in silence during this time.
Download smadav 2018everfoundry. There are plenty of support resources available to husbands who are struggling to cope with their wives' condition. These support resources will be valuable tools for husbands, partners or spouses as their wives begin postpartum depression treatment and recovery.
How Postpartum Depression Affects Husbands
Postpartum depression is a condition that affects everyone close to the person who is suffering. For husbands, spouses or partners it can be extremely difficult to see their wife struggling with postpartum depression. It may be shocking, confusing and create feelings of helplessness. This is a natural reaction when the mental and emotional well-being of your loved one is at stake.
Because postpartum depression causes withdrawal, it can cause the woman's significant other to feel rejected, hurt and more stressed. The entire dynamic between the couple shifts. Without proper communication, many husbands or spouses feel they don't have the support they need. Additionally, they may think they can't provide support to their wife, amplifying the feelings of uncertainty and helplessness.
Postpartum Depression Support for Husbands
There is no way to know how long a woman's postpartum depression symptoms will last. This is why it is critical for husbands, spouses or partners to seek their own support as soon as possible. Support and other resources provide them with an outlet through which to better understand postpartum depression and seek help for their own struggles during this time.
Postpartum Depression Education
If your wife or partner has been diagnosed with postpartum depression, it is vital to educate yourself about the condition. By learning about its causes, symptoms and treatment options you will better understand what is happening and why.
Can Men Have Postpartum
Additionally, learning about postpartum depression will help to reduce feelings of uncertainty and alleviate stress. You will know what to expect when it comes to the recovery process.
One of the best ways for a husband to learn about postpartum depression is to speak directly with the physicians or mental health professionals treating your wife or partner. This way, a husband can understand the specific details regarding his wife's condition including the severity of her symptoms, her treatment course and her recovery progress.
The Importance of Providing Support
Research has shown that one of the critical risk factors of women developing postpartum depression is a lack of support. Women are more likely to improve their symptoms and recover from postpartum depression if they have stability and support at home.
In most cases, the responsibility for providing this support and stability falls to the husband. This is why, in addition to education about postpartum depression, a husband's support can greatly determine how a woman's condition will improve.
Seeking Your Own Support
While offering support is vital to a woman's recovery from postpartum depression, it can be a challenge for husbands to remain supportive if they too are struggling. It is important for husbands to seek their own support if needed.
Husbands, partners or spouses can discuss concerns with a family physician, spend time with friends and family, or even seek their own therapy treatments with a mental health professional to ease stress.
Postpartum In Men
Reaching out to loved ones is a great way to build a stronger support network for both the couple. This may include asking friends and other family members for help with child care, attending appointments, household tasks or any other area where help is needed.
Additionally, husbands and partners may find that they need to seek their own support from a mental health professional. This could be counseling or therapy to help them manage their feelings and stress.
Postpartum depression support groups and online forums are also available specifically for husbands. These groups allow husbands to share their own stories and provide each other with encouragement and understanding. Support groups help husbands and partners express emotions they may not otherwise feel they can share.
Self-Help for Spouses
A critical support element for husbands and partners during postpartum depression is their own self-help practice. By consciously developing healthy practices, husbands can ease their own stress and improve their well-being while still supporting their family.
Here are some ways for husbands and partners to develop their own self-help practices and ensure they manage their own well-being during this time:
- Exercising or getting outside daily
- Eating healthy and ensuring proper nutrition
- Getting enough rest and staying hydrated
- Practicing meditation, mindfulness and deep breathing
- Spending time alone and out of the house
- Spending time with friends and in social settings
By making time for yourself, you can recharge and manage stress more effectively. It is important to prioritize your personal health and take your well-being seriously.
Providing Encouragement
While it may be difficult to know exactly what to say when your loved one is suffering from postpartum depression, the most important thing is to reinforce your support and encouragement. While many women experience anxiousness and destructive thought patterns, husbands, partners and spouses can provide encouragement by supporting her treatment and reminding her that the symptoms will eventually go away.
Though postpartum depression brings challenges, your support and encouragement will greatly improve your wife's ability to recover.
What comes to mind when you think of postpartum depression?
Maybe a news story of someone hurting their kids or a new mom struggling with the transition into motherhood. The truth is, we don't think about postpartum depression or really know much about it other than from the news or our own experiences. For instance did you know men can get a form of postpartum depression known as Paternal Depression? Well they can. Postpartum depression does not discriminate by gender or birthing versus non-birthing partner. This little talked about mood disorder can create a difficult twist in an already major transition.
Pregnancy is often described as a positive experience
We glow, grow, and nest. We meet with healthcare providers checking the safety and growth of our babies and prepare for giving birth. Understandably the majority of care during the span of a pregnancy focuses on the birthing partner, what they are going through and how to support them. Often times little attention is given to the non-birthing partner, who is also going through this transition in a different way.
Fathers can often feel overwhelmed and find this transition to be difficult to prepare for. There are many changes happening including changes in sex life, in attention received from their partners, and an increased sense of responsibility. These changes can weigh heavily on them and influence their experience. Risk factors for Paternal Depression include: having a spouse who has or is experiencing a postpartum mood disorder; not being included in pregnancy care; unhealthy lifestyle; stress; poor marital relationship; history of mental illness; and feelings regarding pregnancy i.e. planned vs. unplanned pregnancies.
Postpartum depression is a devastating condition that not only affects the mother but can affect her husband or partner as well. There are many reasons for this and it is important for spouses to know that they do not have to suffer in silence during this time.
Download smadav 2018everfoundry. There are plenty of support resources available to husbands who are struggling to cope with their wives' condition. These support resources will be valuable tools for husbands, partners or spouses as their wives begin postpartum depression treatment and recovery.
How Postpartum Depression Affects Husbands
Postpartum depression is a condition that affects everyone close to the person who is suffering. For husbands, spouses or partners it can be extremely difficult to see their wife struggling with postpartum depression. It may be shocking, confusing and create feelings of helplessness. This is a natural reaction when the mental and emotional well-being of your loved one is at stake.
Because postpartum depression causes withdrawal, it can cause the woman's significant other to feel rejected, hurt and more stressed. The entire dynamic between the couple shifts. Without proper communication, many husbands or spouses feel they don't have the support they need. Additionally, they may think they can't provide support to their wife, amplifying the feelings of uncertainty and helplessness.
Postpartum Depression Support for Husbands
There is no way to know how long a woman's postpartum depression symptoms will last. This is why it is critical for husbands, spouses or partners to seek their own support as soon as possible. Support and other resources provide them with an outlet through which to better understand postpartum depression and seek help for their own struggles during this time.
Postpartum Depression Education
If your wife or partner has been diagnosed with postpartum depression, it is vital to educate yourself about the condition. By learning about its causes, symptoms and treatment options you will better understand what is happening and why.
Can Men Have Postpartum
Additionally, learning about postpartum depression will help to reduce feelings of uncertainty and alleviate stress. You will know what to expect when it comes to the recovery process.
One of the best ways for a husband to learn about postpartum depression is to speak directly with the physicians or mental health professionals treating your wife or partner. This way, a husband can understand the specific details regarding his wife's condition including the severity of her symptoms, her treatment course and her recovery progress.
The Importance of Providing Support
Research has shown that one of the critical risk factors of women developing postpartum depression is a lack of support. Women are more likely to improve their symptoms and recover from postpartum depression if they have stability and support at home.
In most cases, the responsibility for providing this support and stability falls to the husband. This is why, in addition to education about postpartum depression, a husband's support can greatly determine how a woman's condition will improve.
Seeking Your Own Support
While offering support is vital to a woman's recovery from postpartum depression, it can be a challenge for husbands to remain supportive if they too are struggling. It is important for husbands to seek their own support if needed.
Husbands, partners or spouses can discuss concerns with a family physician, spend time with friends and family, or even seek their own therapy treatments with a mental health professional to ease stress.
Postpartum In Men
Reaching out to loved ones is a great way to build a stronger support network for both the couple. This may include asking friends and other family members for help with child care, attending appointments, household tasks or any other area where help is needed.
Additionally, husbands and partners may find that they need to seek their own support from a mental health professional. This could be counseling or therapy to help them manage their feelings and stress.
Postpartum depression support groups and online forums are also available specifically for husbands. These groups allow husbands to share their own stories and provide each other with encouragement and understanding. Support groups help husbands and partners express emotions they may not otherwise feel they can share.
Self-Help for Spouses
A critical support element for husbands and partners during postpartum depression is their own self-help practice. By consciously developing healthy practices, husbands can ease their own stress and improve their well-being while still supporting their family.
Here are some ways for husbands and partners to develop their own self-help practices and ensure they manage their own well-being during this time:
- Exercising or getting outside daily
- Eating healthy and ensuring proper nutrition
- Getting enough rest and staying hydrated
- Practicing meditation, mindfulness and deep breathing
- Spending time alone and out of the house
- Spending time with friends and in social settings
By making time for yourself, you can recharge and manage stress more effectively. It is important to prioritize your personal health and take your well-being seriously.
Providing Encouragement
While it may be difficult to know exactly what to say when your loved one is suffering from postpartum depression, the most important thing is to reinforce your support and encouragement. While many women experience anxiousness and destructive thought patterns, husbands, partners and spouses can provide encouragement by supporting her treatment and reminding her that the symptoms will eventually go away.
Though postpartum depression brings challenges, your support and encouragement will greatly improve your wife's ability to recover.
What comes to mind when you think of postpartum depression?
Maybe a news story of someone hurting their kids or a new mom struggling with the transition into motherhood. The truth is, we don't think about postpartum depression or really know much about it other than from the news or our own experiences. For instance did you know men can get a form of postpartum depression known as Paternal Depression? Well they can. Postpartum depression does not discriminate by gender or birthing versus non-birthing partner. This little talked about mood disorder can create a difficult twist in an already major transition.
Pregnancy is often described as a positive experience
We glow, grow, and nest. We meet with healthcare providers checking the safety and growth of our babies and prepare for giving birth. Understandably the majority of care during the span of a pregnancy focuses on the birthing partner, what they are going through and how to support them. Often times little attention is given to the non-birthing partner, who is also going through this transition in a different way.
Fathers can often feel overwhelmed and find this transition to be difficult to prepare for. There are many changes happening including changes in sex life, in attention received from their partners, and an increased sense of responsibility. These changes can weigh heavily on them and influence their experience. Risk factors for Paternal Depression include: having a spouse who has or is experiencing a postpartum mood disorder; not being included in pregnancy care; unhealthy lifestyle; stress; poor marital relationship; history of mental illness; and feelings regarding pregnancy i.e. planned vs. unplanned pregnancies.
Some signs of postpartum depression in non-birthing partners include:
- an increase in anger directed toward the baby and/or their partner
- an increase in staying out late or working late
- affairs
- withdrawing from the relationship
- an increase in substance use
- an increase in anxiety
- loss of sense of humor
So, what's the good news in all of this? There's hope. Depression, anxiety and any mood disorders are actual medical conditions and can be treated. Without treatment the consequences can be long lasting, effecting you, your partner and your child or children. If you think you are experiencing these symptoms talk to your healthcare provider or schedule an appointment with a therapist knowledgeable about postpartum depression and its effects on both partners. There is help and there is hope. You don't have to go through this alone.
