Do you or your loved one suffer from Regular Depression or Perinatal Depression? Take the quiz to determine what type of depression you or a loved one are suffering from. If you are pregnant or recently had a child, ask yourself the following questions: 

• Do you experience extreme sadness?
• Do you feel inappropriately guilty?
• Do you feel depressed?
• Do you feel anxious?
• Do you feel hopeless?
• Do you have low self-esteem?
• Do you feel a sense of inadequacy?
• Have you experienced a loss of appetite?
• Are you physically agitated?
• Do you have less energy than normal?
• Do you experience an inability to make decisions?
• Are you having suicidal thoughts?
• Are you having homicidal thoughts?

Scoring:

If you answered yes to at least five of the questions, then you, or your loved one are likely suffering from a perinatal (during and after pregnancy) mood disorder and would benefit from an evaluation by a professional.

If you answered yes to having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, then you should seek immediate assistance. Contact the caregiver who delivered your baby and ask for help. If she/he is not available, go to closest emergency room and ask for a psychiatric evaluation.

Remember:

• Women who have a history of depression, or are undergoing stressful life events are at a higher risk for experiencing a perinatal mood disorder.
• Just because women in all normal pregnancies experience exhaustion, appetite changes, poor sleep, which is similar to typical signs of depression, does not mean you are not depressed. Depression is real.                                                                     More On Depression  

Depression is a common problem during and after pregnancy. Pregnancy is a life altering stage in life, both physically and mentally. Often depression is not recognized or treated because ‘healthy’ pregnancy cause women to experience similar symptoms: body weight changes, sleep disturbances (peeing throughout the night, crying babies who need food), exhaustion (your body is working double time while pregnant and than after the baby is born, you are catering to a child eats and sleeps in 2-3 hour increments.) Women who simply feel like they have the baby blues may benefit from the same resources as women who have postpartum depression. Consider joining a baby blues support group a postpartum depression support group or enrolling in some Mommy and Me classes.

To learn about the support groups that we offer, click here.

written by Alex Caroline Robboy, CAS, MSW, LCSW

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