In the first days after childbirth, some women may experience a rare mental disorder - postpartum psychosis. The disease is severe, but treatable. It is important to recognize the signs of an incipient disorder in time. Moreover, it can be a big surprise for relatives, appearing suddenly. Although gradually developing psychosis is difficult to recognize immediately.

Postpartum psychosis is a rare mental disorder that usually occurs in the first 2-4 weeks after childbirth. With timely diagnosis and rapid initiation of therapy, a woman can get out of this rapidly developing condition in just a few weeks, and with a late diagnosis, recovery can be delayed for months. Often a woman suffering from postpartum psychosis is not aware of her painful condition. Source: Wikipedia

Causes of the disease

Little is known about the causes of the disease. Doctors are inclined to believe that a sharp hormonal restructuring of the female body in the postpartum period can provoke the development of psychosis, complications during childbirth, emotional stress from the birth of a child. The constant lack of sleep, severe fatigue of the mother can also serve as an impetus.

Women whose relatives suffered from postpartum psychosis, as well as women with a history of bipolar depression or schizophrenia, are more at risk of getting sick. If a woman has already been diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after the first birth, it is likely that it will recur after the second pregnancy.

The use of drugs before pregnancy can provoke the development of psychosis.

Everyone who has a high risk of getting sick should definitely consult a psychiatrist in order to minimize the likelihood of the onset of the disease.

Fortunately, postpartum psychosis is much less common than postpartum depression - it develops in approximately 0.1% of women in labor.

Signs of postpartum psychosis

Contact a psychiatrist immediately if you notice the following symptoms in a woman who has recently given birth (literally in the first days after childbirth):

• The woman becomes distracted, cannot express her thoughts clearly. Periods of talkativeness are replaced by unwillingness to communicate;
• Aggression or euphoria alternate with depression, and mood changes occur quite abruptly;
• Changes in the perception of taste and smell. It is even possible to refuse food;
• Insomnia. If a woman's sleep is disturbed, she does not want to go to bed, this should also alert loved ones. She may develop delusions and visions, auditory hallucinations;
• A woman has obsessive ideas, it seems to her that the baby is in danger, they want to take his life, kidnap him. She does not let anyone near the child, refuses to talk to people, is afraid to go outside;
• Or vice versa, the child becomes hated by the mother, she can even try to kill him. And can show him complete indifference. The same attitude can be towards people close to her.

The woman herself does not understand that she is sick, completely inadequate, so her relatives should take care of her and show her to a psychiatrist.

This disease needs to be taken seriously. After all, a sick person, not receiving the necessary treatment, can not only harm herself and the child, but also deprive herself and his life.

Treatment

At the first suspicion of a disease be sure to consult a psychiatrist. He will examine the patient, prescribe the necessary treatment for her.

Most often, a sick woman is admitted to the hospital. If the clinic has conditions, then the baby is next to the mother. Basically, there are no such wards in the hospital, so the baby is at home with one of his relatives. If the child is with his mother, then it is forbidden to breastfeed the baby during treatment, because his mother receives strong antipsychotic medications, various mood stabilizers (normothymics).

Usually the patient's condition after a couple of weeks improves so much that she can be discharged home for aftercare. A full course of treatment can last from six months to a year.

A lot of strength and patience will be required from relatives and friends:

• It is necessary to provide a sick mother with comfortable conditions conducive to recovery: peace, the opportunity to have more rest;
• Most household chores will have to be taken over by the husband and other family members;
• During the course of treatment, one of the relatives should take care of the baby, while the mother herself cannot do this yet;
• Temporarily limit meetings at home with friends - it's not the time for guests yet.
• Try to morally support the woman, talk to her calmly, kindly, without blaming her for what happened. After all, what happened is not the fault of the woman herself;
• If possible, do not leave her alone;
• Control reception medicines, dosage and timing;
• Get a full 8 hours of sleep.

Consequences

If you do not start treatment on time, the consequences of a formidable disease can be deplorable. Being in a state of psychosis, a woman does not control her actions, is a prisoner of obsessions. There are cases when a mother who has just given birth, not receiving timely treatment and being in a manic - depressed state made suicide attempts. And not all of them, unfortunately, were prevented.

A friend of mine who has had postpartum psychosis recalls that time as if it were a nightmare. She had a premature, difficult birth, obviously, this contributed to the development of the disease.

She says that she suddenly became irritable, shouted at everyone, everyone suddenly became enemies. I even got into a fight with my mother-in-law. She wrote some slurred, incomprehensible notes. Everything around him became alien, life seemed over. It seemed to her that her vitality had left her. The taste is completely gone. Because of this, she refused to eat in the hospital. She was force-fed with a spoon. She doesn't remember how she ended up in the hospital. The treatment was delayed for six months.

Three years have passed, and she and her husband want a second child. That's just a friend is afraid of a recurrence of the disease. Therefore, she and her husband turned to a psychiatrist who treated her. Now the woman is following all the recommendations of the doctor and hopes that the terrible disease will not happen again.

If it was not possible to avoid the disease, and postpartum psychosis nevertheless manifested itself, do not despair. Remember - life goes on. It is very important to be attentive to a woman who has recently given birth. Take care of her, help with household chores. Surround her with love. To give mommy the opportunity not to be overloaded, to rest more often. And then the formidable illness will recede and will be remembered simply as a severe nightmare.

What you need to know about postpartum depression –

Childbirth is a colossal stress for the body, physical overload for organs and systems. The postpartum period has many difficulties for a young mother: the formation of lactation, rapid involution (reverse development) of the reproductive organs, restructuring of the endocrine glands, painful sutures and ruptures, and the consequences of blood loss. After natural childbirth or surgery C-section the woman feels weak and tired. But she does not have the opportunity to rest, relax, recover: infant requires maximum attention and care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

Lactation depletes the mother's body, valuable nutrients and biologically active substances are excreted from the body with milk. A young mother is forced to follow a strict diet, to deny herself her favorite dishes. She feels an increased responsibility in connection with motherhood. A woman may not get enough sleep for a long time; not be able to lead a normal life: meet friends, devote time to your appearance, travel; forced to forget about her own desires and needs for the good of the child. The kid is not yet able to appreciate all the mother's sacrifices: he cries, is naughty, sometimes falls into hysterics. All these factors negatively affect the state of the nervous system of a young female body. If the health is strong, the psyche is stable, then there are no problems. Otherwise, postpartum neurosis develops, which, if the situation worsens, can develop into psychosis.

Earlier in maternity hospitals Separate stay of mother and newborn was practiced. The woman had the opportunity to recover after childbirth, take care of her well-being and hygiene, get enough sleep, and calmly communicate with relatives. Now co-habitation is practiced. The baby is brought to the mother a few hours after natural childbirth. Milk arrives only for 2-3 days, before that, babies may experience hunger and scream and cry for a long time.

Important! If a woman in labor feels overwhelmed and tired, it is better to temporarily entrust the newborn to nurses who will bring it only for feeding.

There is no need to be afraid of the condemnation of others, the child needs a healthy and full of strength mother. Nervous strain leads to sad consequences, and the mother's neurosis and psychosis affect the health and development of the baby.

Classification of neuroses

There are the following clinical forms of neurosis:

1. neurasthenia - increased irritability against the background of weakness and fatigue;
2. hysteria, the condition is accompanied by violent external reactions: screaming, tears, tantrums, a desire to inflict physical pain on loved ones;
3. obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by anxious thoughts, obsession, fears, behavioral disorders, inadequacy in actions.

Most of the neuroses are mixed. Often a young mother cannot critically assess her condition and admit her illness. Only the attentive attitude and support of family members helps to cope with neurosis, which, with timely correction, is a reversible condition.

Features of the course of neurosis after childbirth

The main symptoms of postpartum neurosis: increased anxiety, fear, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite. A young mother is emotionally worried and winds herself up for the slightest reason, it is hard for her to endure the crying of a baby. If the baby is sick, then fears go off scale.

A common form of neurosis is neurasthenia. The woman becomes whiny, irritable, it is difficult for her to cope with caring for the baby and routine housework. Over time, asthenia develops - exhaustion, the patient loses weight dramatically and looks exhausted.

Important advice for new mothers! Use the baby's sleep time for your rest. Simplify your daily homework by preparing simple meals and convenience foods. Walk as much as possible with the baby in the fresh air. Use the help of a husband, older children, relatives and friends. Take a break from your child at least once a week.

Classification of psychoses

Psychoses are serious mental disorders that bring great suffering and are difficult to correct. Some forms of pathology are not cured completely and require the regular use of potent drugs.

Depending on the provoking causes, psychoses are divided into 2 groups:

• exogenous, caused by external causes: the intake of toxic substances (alcohol, drugs, potent drugs), infections, stress and psychological trauma;
• endogenous, caused by disorders in the functioning of the nervous or endocrine system, tumors in the brain.

There are acute and reactive psychosis. The acute form develops at lightning speed and requires relief in a dispensary. Reactive - is formed gradually as a result of a long traumatic situation.

Severe forms of the disease are referred to as genetic psychotic disorders. These are: schizoaffective psychosis, manic psychosis and schizophrenia. Motherhood for women with these diagnoses is an unbearable burden.

Features of the course of psychosis after childbirth

Psychosis after childbirth often develops in women who have a burdened history of this pathology. It can be exacerbated in the chronic course of the disease. Many drugs that are used in the treatment are potent and are contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women take them for a long time and cancel them at the planning stage of conception, which is a factor that provokes an exacerbation.

Primary psychosis is called symptomatic, it develops as a result of infection of the birth canal. Postpartum psychosis often has an endogenous character and develops as a result of rapid endocrine changes in the body.

Speaking of postpartum psychosis, they mean a disorder that manifests itself during the first few months after childbirth.

Important to remember! A mother in a state of psychosis is potentially dangerous for the baby; for health reasons, she cannot always control herself. Relatives are obliged to take care of the safety and adequate care of the baby.

Symptoms and signs of mental disorders

Symptoms of neurosis after childbirth include mental and somatic manifestations. Mental symptoms include the following:

• emotional instability: tearfulness, irritability, resentment;
• sudden mood swings for no apparent reason;
• excessive anxiety, fearfulness, phobias;
• obsession with a situation that traumatizes the psyche;
• decreased efficiency, attention, brain activity;
• violent tantrums;
• changes in behavior, isolation, indecision, difficulty with the formulation of thoughts;
• sudden weight loss;
• indifference to the child;
• intolerance to certain sounds, photophobia;
• sleep disorders: insomnia or drowsiness;
• lethargy, apathy, depression.

Somatic disorders are added to mental and behavioral disorders. A young mother is concerned about: pain in the heart, temples, symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia (dizziness, convulsions, fainting spells), disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting).

With psychosis, more severe complications are added to the described symptoms:

• strange phobias and thoughts: about a possible substitution of a child, about your incurable illness, about a conspiracy or a special mission;
• loss of interest in the newborn up to the complete refusal to care for him;
• visual and auditory hallucinations - "voices";
• megalomania;
• obsessive thoughts about suicide;
• amental clouding - the sick person does not realize where she is, speech is disturbed, she falls into a "stupor";
• periods of depression for no apparent reason are replaced by excitement and activity.

The condition affects appearance, a young mother becomes unkempt, does not look after herself and does not notice this. She stops housekeeping, housing looks neglected. The social circle is sharply narrowed, in a number of cases, a sick mother stops going out and “falls out” of society.

It is important to know! A woman is often unable to adequately assess the severity of her condition. The initiative for diagnosis and treatment falls on the shoulders of close relatives.

Advanced mental and nervous disorders lead to serious complications. Protracted neurosis develops into psychosis, which is dangerous for the life of a woman and her child. A young mother exhausts herself with fears, she has thoughts of suicide, which can be accompanied by active actions.

Diagnosis of mental disorders in home and clinical settings

Relatives may notice the first alarming symptoms immediately after the young mother is discharged from the maternity hospital. The woman complains of weakness, feeling unwell, it is difficult for her to take care of the baby and perform household chores. The patient expresses many concerns and fears about the newborn. Apathy may occur, the mother stops approaching the child, even if he cries heart-rendingly. If relatives notice changes in behavior, the woman should be referred to a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Important information! The sooner you apply for medical care, the easier it is to get rid of the obsessive state. With alarming symptoms, you can self-diagnose using online tests. Frank answers to questions help identify disorders and assess their severity.

When contacting a medical diagnostic institution, it is carried out comprehensive examination. The doctor examines, listens to complaints, prescribes tests and tomography of the brain. You should contact narrow specialists: a neurologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist.

In the arsenal of a psychologist, there are techniques for identifying and relieving anxiety. For example, color diagnostics. If a woman repeatedly chooses gray, black and brown from a range of colors, this indicates a neurological personality disorder. The classic test - "Rorschach blots", was created more than 100 years ago but is still relevant and informative. The subject is offered 10 cards with ink blots various shapes Some of them are in color, others are black and white. Cards can be flipped. The patient examines the blots and answers questions related to the associations seen. The test allows you to identify the mental characteristics of the individual and identify pathological changes. The interpretation of the results should be made by a specialist psychologist who calculates the scores and draws conclusions.