Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for PPD/PPA

just_peachy

Post Partum Stress DIsorder is a disorder that lingers a lot longer than a specific accute stress.

Since it's been almost 11 months since I have had my son, I'm thinking the whole life changing situation is what is causing the PPA/PPD.  It's a Post Traumatic Disorder from the life changing situation.

Defined this way:

Posttraumatic stress disorder (also known as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma.^[1][2][3] This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,^[1] overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response.

Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal ? such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hypervigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria (both DSM-IV-TR and ICD-9) require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.^[1]

I am now on Abilify to help with my Luvox and wish every new day will be something "right" instead of me just learning to "cope".

Just wondering if anyone else feels like the entire life feels stressed since the birth of their baby.  I love my son more than anything.  He is a joy but I can't seem to get my act together emotionally free from anxiety and depression and obsessive worry since his birth.

totallyshocked

I know nothing about this but been wondering about you. You okay? Call me....

julybaby23

I definitely had PTSD from my labor. I had never heard of such a thing before but I bet it is very common. I had an 'fairly' easy labor too, it was just way too much for me to handle emotionally. I think that is what set off my PPA too.

FemmeNat01

I'm here.

My therapist said that it's a form of PTSD from the whole pre-e, emergency c-section, NICU ordeal. Getting pregnant again sort of triggered it. My PPD has been really bad lately. I'm in some serious therapy right now. It's really helping to open up and talk to someone about it rather than keeping it inside and letting it fester.