Postpartum OCD

ReeceFamily · May 2013

I don't feel depressed, but started having repeated thoughts about horrible things happening to LO. It has been tough, and unlike me. After some research, it is fairly common and a form of PPD that manifests as anxiety instead of sadness. And I need to find a counselor stat. Anyone else experience this? It's really disconcerting.

82Sonia · May 2013

I've been prescribed Zoloft for PP anxiety I've always had an anxiety disorder to be fair. I haven't started taking it yet, ironically because I can't stop worrying about the side effects I've made up in my head.

mz07 · May 2013

Hi there! I have OCD (actually Pure-O OCD, where the 'compulsive' part manifested itself in trying to think, think, think the anxiety away). I worked for years to get under control. Luckily I haven't had problems PP. You could ask your provider for a recommendation, but just make sure that the person you're seeing has experience with OCD. Traditional talk therapy typically doesn't work on OCD because you're still dwelling on the content of the thought and your need to mitigate the anxiety through an action. You need to find someone that knows Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The best therapist I had hardly ever talked to me about the content of my OCD, because the content can change (it did for me several times). What we talked about was how to manage the thought and attendant anxiety.

These articles might help: https://www.ocdonline.com/articlesphillipson.php

Message me if you have any questions. Take care!

bennikki · May 2013

I haven't dealt with this, but my sister has. She was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug and a sleep aid. With the sleep aid, her husband took baby duty two nights a week once she had a stock pile of breastmilk in the freezer. Once she started getting two good nights of sleep, she only needed to take the anti-anxiety for a very short period. She also got back into a regular workout routine, and I think that helped her mental health as well as physical.

She's seen therapists in the past, but as the previous poster said, it didn't seem like talk therapy was going to help this situation.

Oh, almost forgot, she also stopped reading all baby books, it just fueled her anxiety. She was getting all worked up at one of the appointments talking about milestones and development, and the Dr. just said, "you know what, you can't screw it up. Put the books down, you're doing fine." We have the same dr., and he's amazing!

ReeceFamily · May 2013

mz07:
Hi there! I have OCD (actually Pure-O OCD, where the 'compulsive' part manifested itself in trying to think, think, think the anxiety away). I worked for years to get under control. Luckily I haven't had problems PP. You could ask your provider for a recommendation, but just make sure that the person you're seeing has experience with OCD. Traditional talk therapy typically doesn't work on OCD because you're still dwelling on the content of the thought and your need to mitigate the anxiety through an action. You need to find someone that knows Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The best therapist I had hardly ever talked to me about the content of my OCD, because the content can change (it did for me several times). What we talked about was how to manage the thought and attendant anxiety.
These articles might help: https://www.ocdonline.com/articlesphillipson.php
Message me if you have any questions. Take care!

Thank you - that seems in line with what I've read, so I'll take your advice! I don't think what I'm going through is severe, but apparently it can get worse if you don't get help. A Yale study has shown that the post-natal brain is pre-disposed to transient OCD, kind of a protective measure that can get out of hand. It has helped alot just finding out that this is a relatively common thing, that it's a chemical imbalance and not a logical thing, and that help is readily available. This has done alot to quell my anxiety.

ReeceFamily · May 2013

bennikki:
I haven't dealt with this, but my sister has. She was prescribed an anti-anxiety drug and a sleep aid. With the sleep aid, her husband took baby duty two nights a week once she had a stock pile of breastmilk in the freezer. Once she started getting two good nights of sleep, she only needed to take the anti-anxiety for a very short period. She also got back into a regular workout routine, and I think that helped her mental health as well as physical.
She's seen therapists in the past, but as the previous poster said, it didn't seem like talk therapy was going to help this situation.
Oh, almost forgot, she also stopped reading all baby books, it just fueled her anxiety. She was getting all worked up at one of the appointments talking about milestones and development, and the Dr. just said, "you know what, you can't screw it up. Put the books down, you're doing fine." We have the same dr., and he's amazing!

I do worry alot about passing things my parents did to me on to my daughter. Not that they were abusive, but just little things like they were really bad listeners and I never felt like my feelings were validated. I need to stop dwelling on things like that, I think it is causing me more anxiety than I realized. Thanks for the support!

URMySunshine77 · May 2013

I experience the same thing. I have random flashes of fear that I will trip and fall with him or that we will get hit by a car. It is just so powerful, and I hate it.

While I didn't have PPD, pre-partum I've had a bit of anxiety and OCD. Never medicated, though.

I hope that you find the help you need. Know that you are not alone!

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