Is it the Baby Blues or something more?

• Do you often feel down or irritable for little or no reason?
• Have you noticed that you have lost interest in pleasurable activities?
• Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep even when the baby is sleeping soundly?
• Are you worried about your future, your family, or your finances and find it hard to turn off these worrisome thoughts?
• Do you feel like you’re having trouble bonding with your baby or feel inadequate compared to your partner?

If so, you may be struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety. It’s true. Postpartum depression, or PPD, doesn’t just affect women. In fact, more and more research is emerging that shows it affects men at almost the same rate.

If since you brought home your little bundle of joy, you have felt anything but joyful, you may have postpartum depression. Raising a child certainly has its challenges, but for those with postpartum, it can feel impossible to deal with the day to day activities- not only of taking care of baby but also taking care of one’s self. You may be full of feelings of inadequacy, fear, or even hopelessness. You know you love your baby, but you just feel disconnected.

You are not alone

Research has shown that about 1 in 7 women and 1 in 10 men with new babies (0 to 12 months) struggle with symptoms of postpartum depression. Some studies have shown that it can peak to as many as 1 in 4 who suffer from PPD during the periods of 3 to 6 months after birth. Men whose partners struggle with PPD are at at even higher risk- about 50% to develop symptoms themselves.

This means that approximately 600,000 American women will develop symptoms of PPD this year! But only 15% will receive proper treatment. Up to 400,000 American men will develop symptoms of depression and anxety in the first year after birth as well. Even fewer of them will receive treatment.

The good news, however, is that treatment is possible.

You can feel whole, bond with your baby, and enjoy life again!

There is Hope

You may have thoughts or feelings that you are not comfortable talking about with anyone else. You may be feeling really down. You may be feeling really angry. It can be a scary and isolating experience especially for men as we are supposed to be strong. How can a baby, something so tiny and delicate, have this effect on us?

It doesn’t have to be this way, and counseling can help. I have worked with mothers and fathers who were over-the-moon excited when they found out their partners were pregnant. They beamed with excitement every time an opportunity arose to share the news. The men were there for every doctor’s appointment and sonogram. They were there for the birth and got to hold their tiny infant just moments after it was born.

The change was subtle at first. Their irritability they attributed to sleep deprivation. Their inability to focus must have been due to the fatigue. Yet, as time passed and the baby began sleeping more, their mood remained the same. They told themselves that they were happy, that they were blessed to be parents. At the same time, they had a feeling of emptiness and distance within them.

Counseling for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety can Help

I help women and men overcome their depression and anxiety, so they can be better parents and role models for their children. I work using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-based CBT to enact change at both the thinking and feeling level. Through therapy, change is possible.

It doesn’t hurt that I am also a husband and a father to three brilliant and beautiful daughters. My training and life experience inform my practice. I look forward to helping you beat your depression.