GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Robin is currently away seeking treatment for postpartum depression. In part two of our discussion with GH consultant Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN/MA/CLC, who is the president of Postpartum Support International, we take a look at what that means.
Soap Opera Weekly: Will PPD go away without treatment?
Birdie Gunyon Meyer: If you don’t get treatment, it might go away, but it could take up to two years. Why would you stay miserable for two years? For some people, it becomes chronic depression and never really goes away. There are options for treatment that work.
Weekly: How is it treated?
Meyer: Treatment is many things. Getting information and education would be one. I can’t tell you how many women, after their first counseling session or support group, [say], “I feel better knowing I’m not the only one. I’m not the only one not getting dressed till noon? Nobody else is putting dinner on the table every night? I thought I was supposed to be doing all that.” Teaching self-care to the new mom would be another: Are you sleeping? Are you eating? Are you going for a walk every day? Are you making sure you’re asking for help — emotional help and practical help? Talking to someone nonjudgmental? Are you making sure every day you have at least 15 minutes of “me time”? You’re not a mommy all the time, so at least once or twice a week, go out and do something just for yourself. Ask for help; get support from family and friends, use therapy, counseling, support groups. Support groups are really big. Some women need one-on-one counseling, and there are medication options.
Weekly: So not everyone is treated with medication?
Meyer: No. We have so many things to use. I usually say to women: education and information, eating, sleeping, exercising, taking time for yourself. What are you doing well? What are you not doing well? Then, if you’ve tried that for a couple of weeks, it could be time for medication. [For some,] medication is the first option, and then get them to eat right and sleep right. That’s where medical professionals trained in prenatal mood disorders really need to do an evaluation and decide if meds are really indicated. Some people get a full night’s sleep and feel totally different. They may have breast-feeding issues, and you help them resolve their issues and everything clears up.
Weekly: What if the problem is really serious?
Meyer: Some people need hospitalization. Some people are suicidal. For their own safety, you have to get them [help]. We also recommend complementary treatment, and give them relaxation [methods]: There’s imagery and light therapy, and nutrition and exercise are big. Give them a massage and let them take care of themselves.
Weekly: Are there support groups for husbands who are affected?
Meyer: It depends on your community. For instance, I don’t have just the husbands; I have a family night once a month, and that’s when the spouses come along. We show movies to educate, so [the men] understand, and then I make the women leave the room and have a little group with them. We also have online resources for men through Postpartum International. We have two different coordinators: one for the man living with a woman who has postpartum depression, postpartumdads.org, and then there’s an online support group for men who who are suffering through postpartum depression themselves — it can affect men. PostpartumMen.com is a Web site for them.
Weekly: What other resources do you have?
Meyer: We have, through PSI, Chat With the Expert four times a month. It’s for people to call in anonymously and chat with an expert every Wednesday. Women can call and ask any question they want. Every Monday evening, we have Chat With the Expert for Dads. Dads have their own phone support group. I think that’s hard for them — the dad who suddenly has to deal with the mom who’s not bonding the way he thought. She’s suffering from postpartum depression, and he’s taking over both roles and didn’t know what this is going to look like. If the guy is supportive and they work through it together, we find out what makes her better and get her help.
For more information and help, go to www.postpartum.net.
