After giving birth, it’s very common to experience a wide range of emotions. You might feel overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious, and it’s normal. But if these feelings last for more than two weeks or cause significant distress in your life, then it may be time to seek professional help from a therapist.
If you’re wondering how therapy can help with postpartum issues, you’ll go over what therapists do and how they can help you through this challenging time.
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Remembering You’re Not Alone
Postpartum depression is a prevalent problem for many new mothers. And because it’s such an isolating and stigmatized issue, women struggling with PPD often don’t feel like they can talk to anyone about their feelings or seek help.
But while this silence is understandable, it can make things worse in the long run by making you feel even more isolated than before. You may start to think that no one else understands what you’re going through, making things more difficult for you to cope with on your own.
Remembering that people are willing and able to help you can be incredibly powerful in helping you overcome your postpartum issues. If you feel like therapy would benefit you but aren’t sure where to turn, seeking out licensed therapists in your area can also help.
You need to find a therapist who can sit down with you and help determine the best course of action for overcoming whatever challenges you are facing is always a plus. A therapist can also help you deal with the issues that led to seeking mental health treatment in the first place.
Setting Realistic Expectations
One of the most important things you can do is set realistic expectations for yourself. It means you must be honest about what you can accomplish and what is reasonable for your situation. You also have to consider any other factors affecting your ability to achieve your goals, such as time constraints or physical limitations.
If you have postpartum depression, it may not be realistic for your first goal to get back into shape after just having a baby. Instead, it would probably make more sense for one of your first goals to be going on walks with the stroller every day until the weather gets warmer so that exercise becomes more comfortable.
Once this goal has been achieved, work on another one, like starting an exercise routine at home. You can also join a gym near where you live so that working out becomes easier and less stressful overall.
Changing Your Perspective
Over the last year, some Americans’ lives have seen substantial changes. Many Americans deal with mental and behavioral health issues, regardless of their circumstances. According to the State of Mental Health in America 2022 report, 19.86% of adults reported having at least one mental health issue.
Thus, changing your perspective can help you feel better and deal with Postpartum depression, one of the mental health issues. You’re often so focused on what you have or don’t have that you forget to focus on the positive aspects of life. Focusing on what you have in place of everything that isn’t working out is one way to change your perspective and start feeling better.
Another great thing about changing your perspective is that it doesn’t require extra effort. You may be doing this already. Simply pay attention when something good happens in your life instead of dwelling on the negative aspects.
If there’s a good thing in your day, you usually will think about it during that moment and then move on to other things without thinking about it further. It helps you stay grounded when things get tough because good things are always happening, no matter how bad things seem at first glance.
Balancing Your Life
One of the most important things to remember is to take time to care for yourself. You have been through a huge physical, emotional and mental change. Your body needs time to heal, your mind needs time to rest and relax, and your emotions need time to regain balance.
You should also focus on making sure you have some alone time with yourself every day or at least once a week. It can be anything from taking a walk by yourself in nature or going for coffee with friends alone, without kids. You must take care of yourselves to take care of those around you.
Finding New Ways to Relax
Around 3.66 million infants were born in 2021, up 1% from 2020, according to the CDC. With such a rise comes the problem of Postpartum issues, which is also rising. Thus, it is recommended to exercise for the betterment of their health. In addition, research shows that women who exercise during pregnancy are less likely to experience the common side effects of depression and anxiety.
If you’re not a fitness buff, it’s okay. However, walking around the block can help clear your head and make you feel less overwhelmed.
When you feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety, finding ways to relax is important. There are so many things that people enjoy doing as a way of relaxing, such as meditation, yoga, massage therapy, especially prenatal massage, reading, or listening to music. Once you’ve found something that works for you, try incorporating it into your weekly routine so that it becomes part of how you unwind from day-to-day life.
Focusing on Self-Care
Without a doubt, the most important thing you can do for yourself is practice self-care. Self-care is different for everyone and often changes throughout your life. Being mindful of how you treat your body and mind is always important. Some simple self-care activities include:
- Going on a walk by yourself.
- Reading a book or watching TV in bed with no distractions.
- Take an hour out of your day to spend with friends or family.
Healing From the Past
For many people, the past is where they bury their emotions and unresolved issues. Talking about these things can be difficult and uncomfortable, but going through postpartum depression can be an opportunity to start healing from the past.
Talking about your past with a therapist will help you process what happened to you in the past so that you can move on with your life. It is important because it allows you to leave the past behind instead of letting it control how you feel today.
When talking about your feelings with a therapist, there are three important things that they will want to know: how did this problem start? What made it worse? And what helped make it better? A therapist will help guide you through these questions so that they can understand everything going on in your head at once, which may be very confusing.
Seeking Professional Help from a Licensed Therapist Will Help You Feel Better
Postpartum depression is a big issue. A study of 565 research from 80 different nations or areas by Nature.com indicated that 17.22% of the population worldwide suffers from postpartum depression. To deal with it, a therapist can help you find ways to deal with your feelings.
A therapist can help you feel better about yourself. They can help you learn to relax and change your perspective, set realistic expectations, and work through problems in a healthy way that leaves no room for self-doubt or shame.
You must find a qualified and comfortable therapist working with new mothers like yourself to get these benefits from mental health therapy.