Only a medical provider can diagnose postpartum depression, and the condition will not go away on its own, but it is very treatable once help is sought. Therapy and safe medications can help to ease the symptoms and allow parents to have an easier time. It is also important to note that there are significant consequences for children whose parents have untreated depression; while many parents avoid PPD treatment, feeling like they need to take care of their children and can’t afford the time to focus on themselves, this is absolutely a situation where the parent must prioritise themselves for the overall health of their children.

PPD or just the ‘baby blues’?

New parents generally are overtired, overwhelmed, and can feel unsupported in their community, especially if they live far from family. They may also feel like their old friends have deserted them or don’t understand their new life as parents, and may not yet have made solid connections with other new parents.

All of these feelings are perfectly normal, and this can make it difficult to tell where these negative feelings move from normal to cause for concern. Many women dismiss their ongoing anxiety and depression as what everyone goes through, not bad enough to really worry about.

The signs of postpartum depression

Some common signs of PPD or postpartum depression include:

• Changes in sleep pattern besides those that the baby is causing. You can’t sleep when the baby sleeps, or you can fall asleep, but you wake up with your heart racing as if from a nightmare every time, and can’t go back to sleep
• You find yourself obsessing over details and what-if scenarios. You can’t redirect your thoughts from these ideas without serious effort
• You are terrified to leave your baby alone, even in safe situations (asleep in their childproof crib, or with a trusted relative, for example). You rearrange your life to avoid these situations
• You have an ongoing sense of dread, even in happy situations. You may be able to enjoy happy things when they happen, but once they’re over, the dread creeps back in. You may feel incredibly guilty about being unable to stay happy
• You may feel muted in all situations, like your emotions just aren’t as BIG as they used to be – neither happy nor sad.

This is just a short list of the types of symptoms that could be caused by PPD. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to have all of these symptoms to be diagnosed; just one or two can be enough, depending on their severity.

How PPD Is Treated

There are some general lifestyle changes that are known to help with anxiety and depression, like getting more exercise, practicing mindfulness, or improving diet. These alone should help to alleviate the ‘baby blues’, but alone they cannot treat post-partum depression, so if you have already tried these things and are still suffering with PPD symptoms, make sure to tell your doctor and ask for the help you need.

Worryingly, some women struggle to get help from their medical provider; you may hear that “everyone feels this way,” or “it will pass.” This is an outdated attitude, and you should absolutely speak to another doctor if you hear this. You deserve to feel better, so that you can enjoy these early days with your child, which will affect the rest of your life and theirs.

Your midwife or public health nurse are often a good first contacts, as they may be more experienced with treating PPD than a GP. From there they will likely recommend you see a psychologist who is experienced with post-partum depression (like us here at Psychological Health Care).

Don’t delay in seeking treatment

If you feel you or a family member is suffering with postpartum depression and you don’t want to wait to get help or go through your GP or public health nurse, you can always book an appointment directly with us today – just get in touch!

The post Recognising the Signs of Postpartum Depression appeared first on Psychological Health Care.

The Western Australian Association for Mental Health is using this message, with a focus on suicide prevention, as the official theme for 2016 Mental Health Week, which runs from October 8 to 15. This coincides with World Mental Health Day which is October 10 this year.

So what are some practical ways you can put ‘Act, Belong, Commit’ into practice to help keep yourself mentally health? Let’s take a look!

But first, let’s understand a bit more about Depression

When you’re depressed, there is a tendency to withdraw from people and isolate yourself from society. It can be tough to muster the energy to leave the house, and talking to friends or loved ones can seem an odious task. As a result, it can also become difficult for anyone in your support network to reach out to you. Often, depression does not just affect the person who is depressed.

It’s important to start a dialogue about mental health issues and to learn about how we can help ourselves, and others, to stay mentally healthy and prevent depression and suicidal thoughts from taking over. The more we talk, the more we understand – and the more we can help ourselves and help each other. Together, we can save lives.

Start Off Small: Act

Depression drains your energy and drive, which can make it difficult to stay active. Many people might not know this, but introducing gentle exercise into your daily routine is an incredibly effective way to help combat depression. This doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise – simply walking for thirty minutes each day can suffice to begin with.

What can you do? Make a conscious effort to be active and stay focussed, and then build up to taking on more varied forms of physical (and mental) activity. Take a walk, read a book, call a loved one or stop for a chat, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do something. The key thing to remember here is that slow progress is still progress.

It’s Good to Talk: Belong

Experiencing depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are an incredibly isolating, frightening thing to have to deal with. One of the key factors of depression is this feeling of isolation and a desire to not be around people. Talking therapies can help to overcome the feelings of despair, isolation and thoughts of suicide – but even before you see a psychologist for depression counselling, there are ways you can begin to break down the barrier of isolation. You don’t even have to talk about yourself, your problems, or your feelings. Simply interacting with family and friends, and feeling like you are a part of a community is a big step toward fostering a sense of good social and emotional well-being.

What can you do? It’s a great idea to get out into your community (even if this seems daunting and challenging at first) and start to socialise. Isolation only breeds more of the same – but by joining a community group, taking up charity work or volunteering for a local cause, you can begin to find belonging and meaning in your life. It’s never too late to build your support network, or even to create new friendships.

Take Charge of Your Life: Commit

If you suffer from depression, or if you support someone who is suffering, it’s important to realise there is hope, and you are not powerless. One crucial step in taking charge of your life and changing your thought process is by setting goals and committing to achieving them. This goes hand in hand with nurturing a sense of purpose and well-being.

What can you do? Starting a hobby, committing to making new friends, or even setting a small goal to leave the house at least once a day is progress. And remember that it is OK to go after what you want in life; it is OK to be selfish in this respect because taking care of your mental health goes hand in hand with curating a sense of purpose and achievement.

Setting goals and achieving them doesn’t have to be daunting. Begin by writing down what it is you want out of life (remember, start off small), and then curate healthy habits around that goal.

Let’s say you want to be more active. Then get out there and start taking those baby steps! Take up a cause, help a neighbour, learn something new or volunteer for a local charity. All of these are small and manageable steps, but they are steps in the right direction. If you have a goal in mind, then the rest should follow.

There is Always Hope

The most important thing to remember is that there is hope. If you suffer from depression, or you know someone who does – then you can start to change things by adopting the ‘Act, Belong, Commit’ premise.

Fostering healthy habits such as being more active, interacting with your community, and committing to achieving goals (however small), are just some of the steps you can take to help take care of your mental health. If you’re struggling with your mental health, it’s important to gauge how you’re feeling, what state of mind you are in and if you need to take action in order to improve your state of well-being.

A simple, easy first step to take to do this would be to take this self-assessment test to gain a better understanding of where you are with your emotional wellbeing and how you can improve. We hope it inspires you to Act, Belong and Commit to improve your mental health.

Please remember too that even though you might be working hard to stay mentally healthy, you may still need to talk to someone. It’s important to seek professional help if you’re struggling; so remember that talking to a clinical psychologist or other therapist can help you to find more coping mechanisms and address the roots of your issues. You can book an appointment with us today to talk.

The post WA Mental Health Week: How to Stay Mentally Healthy appeared first on Psychological Health Care.

Juggling all of these new experiences and responsibilities can be a lot for anyone to take, and if you are prone to depression or other mental health problems it can be an even more difficult time as, according to MacGeorge, Samter, & Gillihan 2005, academic stress can further contribute to depression.

Fortunately, there are some ways to get these pressures into perspective and beat stress and depression effectively. Here are 5 ways to improve your ability to cope.

1. Create a routine

Although everything will be new to you in the beginning, try to get your bearings and get into a good routine as early on as you can. With more freedom and maybe a course with light classwork, it can be tempting to stay up late partying or talking with new friends and sleeping-in late, but this sort of disruptive schedule can take its toll over long periods.

Instead try to create a routine with a good balance of social activity, exercise, study time and rest. Get up early and get some exercise; make time each week to shop for and cook fresh food (not just frozen pizzas and noodles!); schedule time at the library to focus on studies with regular fresh air breaks; and of course make time to catch up with friends too! Maintaining a good routine helps to keep you positive, organised and focused – all very important things for juggling social and academic commitments.

2. Keep an eye on your physical health

Eating well, making sure to get plenty of Vitamin C and getting enough exercise and sleep will make a big difference to your mental health. Many university campuses have gyms with subsidised membership fees, so consider joining a gym or a sports team to get some aerobic exercise at least once a week (also a great way to make new friends!).

Even taking a walk each morning as part of your routine will give you great benefits as exercise has a powerful effect on your mental health, reducing anxiety and elevating your mood. Yoga and meditation – even 12 minutes a day – can also help support you to keep worries in perspective and release the effects of stress from your body.

3. Start building social networks

Although your parents and teachers will no doubt place a big emphasis on keeping up with your studies at uni, and don’t get us wrong that is of course important, but so is the social aspect of starting a new chapter of your life. Isolation is known to increase stress and depression, so when moving away from family and school friends it is really important to get yourself out there to make new friends and create that new support system for yourself.

It can be intimidating at first because you are away from your familiar environment, particularly for those with social anxiety, but keep in mind that almost everyone else in the room is in the same boat! Don’t be afraid to take that first step and attend social events when you can, so you can begin to build social networks that support you in your new life at uni. If social situations make you nervous, practice some deep breathing or a few minutes of meditation before you go out, and visualise yourself feeling calm and interacting well with people.

Find clubs or societies that interest you or allow you to explore a new hobby with others. There are many of these opportunities available at uni and they are a great way to meet like-minded people.

4. Watch your alcohol intake

There’s no escaping the fact that alcohol plays a big role in uni life. You have more freedom to do what you want, going to dorm parties and college bars, with alcohol being a common ‘social lubricant’ used to ease the stress associated with socialising with new people out of your comfort zone.

However, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK, alcohol actually has a negative effect on your ability to cope with stress. It affects the chemistry of the brain in a way that increases the risk of depression. In excessive amounts it also has the ability to cause more problems in your life that increase stress and depression, such as arguments with others, and waking up the next morning feeling anxious and jittery.

While telling university students not to drink alcohol will almost always fall on deaf ears, at least drink in moderation and know your limits. Make sure to keep some alcohol-free events as part of your social calendar and when you do drink, alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water to pace yourself. Seek help if you feel that your drinking has got out of control.

5. Talk to someone

A study by MacGeorge, Samter, & Gillihan in 2005 found that supportive communication made a difference to the levels of academic stress experienced by students. Supportive communication includes emotional support (sympathy and affection) and advice and information that is helpful to your situation. Don’t battle on alone if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Talk to a friend – be that a new friend going through the same thing or call an old friend on the phone; or even talk to a tutor, family member or uni counsellor. Everyone goes through a period of transition when making a big change in their life so you’re sure to find someone who will understand and talk through those emotions with you.

But if you find your anxiety or depression is getting too much to handle you can always talk to a professional. Our team of Clinical Psychologists are highly experienced in helping people like you through new emotions and difficult times. We are on hand Monday to Saturday at our clinic in Dianella – just get in touch to make a booking.

The post Starting Uni? 5 Tips to beat stress & depression when away from home appeared first on Psychological Health Care.

But for many people, Christmas is not a joyful time. Perhaps you or someone you know is dealing with losing a loved one. Or maybe you are battling alcohol or drug addiction, or suffering from loneliness, isolation, depression or anxiety.

Here are a few pointers on how to improve your ability to cope, and how to take care of yourself and others around you if you know someone who might be struggling.

1. Feeling Lonely, Homesick or Isolated

If the media images are to be believed, Christmas is all about family togetherness – but this is not the reality for many people. A huge percentage of Perth’s population is made up of immigrants from all over the world – Ireland and the UK, Europe, Asia, India, Africa. So it’s not surprising if maybe you are feeling homesick or left out of the sense of closeness and comfort that Christmas tends to promote. Here are some ways to combat loneliness at Christmas:

• Invite other people who are at a loose end around for a meal. Particularly look out for elderly neighbours
• Spend the day volunteering
• Find community, religious or other social events that you can join – a chance to make new friends
• Embrace the solitude. If you are facing the day alone, turn it into an opportunity to really treat yourself. Plan a special day to nurture yourself, for example, having a movie marathon, eating your favourite foods, or taking a walk to a favourite spot in nature.

2. Dealing with Anxiety, Depression and Grief

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in five Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year, and Christmas can magnify anxiety and depression as you face additional pressure to feel ‘joyful and merry’. Financial stress can also increase anxiety as you try to buy presents on a tight budget.

If you have lost a loved one, Christmas can be a painful reminder of your bereavement, bringing your grief to the surface as you miss the time you would have spent with them. Or if some family relationships have broken down you may be confronted with stressful decisions about who to spend Christmas with and grieving how things used to be in the good times.

Here are some suggestions on how to cope with anxiety, depression and loss, as well as how to support others dealing with these issues:

Take Time Out

Even if it is just 15 minutes, regularly spend some time doing a stress-reducing activity such as:

• Walking
• Listening to music that makes you feel calm
• Doing some breathing exercises
• Using a simple meditation app like ‘Headspace‘, or a basic Progressive Relaxation technique.
• Treating yourself to a massage to reduce muscle tension
• Reading a book you enjoy

Know Your Limits and Plan Ahead

Have an exit strategy and a back-up plan for every potentially stressful or upsetting situation. Plan ahead so that you don’t have to come up with an excuse in an emotionally heightened state. If you know that shopping centres and crowds are trigger points for you, try to shop online and restrict shopping trips to off-peak times for short periods. Set a budget and stick to it, and try not to overschedule, leaving a day or two between each big activity.

Reach Out for Help

Rather than waiting until you have reached crunch point, be alert to your warning signs and reach out for help as soon as you need it. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional if you are struggling. If you are under treatment for any mental illness, make sure you have the emergency number for contacting your doctor or other health professional during this time.

If you are grieving and need some support, you can call the Griefline. You can find a full list of national helplines and websites for depression here.

Set Clear Boundaries

At Christmas, there can be a lot of pressure to say yes when you want to say no, which can lead to overwhelm and tip the scale when it comes to triggering any mental health issues. Unfortunately, Christmas time can highlight divisions and emotional tensions in families.

Maybe you want to simply spend a quiet Christmas without the big family dinner. If so, you might need to be firm with family members. If you feel unable to participate in every activity, choose those that are most important to you, and explain to others that you need to take care of your health at this time.

Accept and Allow Feelings

If you have experienced a bereavement or separation, take the time to acknowledge your feelings without trying to change them. Know that it is normal to not feel in the “holiday spirit” when you are dealing with a loss, and that Christmas heightens the memories and emotions. Don’t be afraid to reach out and allow yourself to keep Christmas as low-key as you need it to be, making sure to do nurturing things for yourself at this time.

If Someone You Know is Struggling

Allow them the space to feel their feelings. Provide a listening ear but don’t try to fix or save. Simply being accepting of someone as they are right now, and being open to hearing how they feel, goes a long way. You might feel helpless if someone you care about is struggling. Recommend some of the resources mentioned in this article.

3. Coping with Substance Issues at Christmas

Alcohol is a prominent guest at most festive season parties, adding to Australia‘s already well-established drinking culture. And if you have substance abuse issues or are close to someone who does, this is a particularly challenging time to navigate.

Stress, anxiety, isolation or depression can all make you more susceptible to any addictions you suffer from. If alcohol issues are a problem, see Alcoholics Anonymous to find a meeting near you, or try Narcotics Anonymous for drug problems. Or see an addiction counsellor. Plan ahead to create safe and healthy alternatives to parties, such as going to a movie with a friend or going to the gym. If you are affected by someone else‘s drinking, you can go to an Al-Anon meeting. 
Christmas can really pile on the stress as well as highlight any existing issues, so it’s a good idea to be prepared and find some ways to minimise the impact. If you are struggling at this time, you are not alone – and there is help available. Get in touch with us to talk things through.

The post Looking after Yourself and Eachother This Holiday Season appeared first on Psychological Health Care.