Pregnancy is one of the life changing scenarios in a woman's life and it's been considered as the most wonderful and happiest experience, a woman could ever receive.
Despite this fact, various studies have found that more than 20% of women going through pregnancy suffer psychiatric disorders, particularly those women who have a history of psychiatric illness.
A psychiatric disorder is a mental disease characterized by the change in the behavioral or mental pattern of a person causing lack of ability to function normally in life.
Most of the disorders are asymptomatic, i.e. the patient don't show any symptoms in the early stages, which makes it more difficult to diagnose.
So, keeping this in mind, we've enlisted, the most common mental disorders that women face during pregnancy in today's section.
1. Depression
When a woman enters the phase of pregnancy, her body undergoes different physical and emotional changes that lead her to suffer depression. Lack of sleep, appetite, and tiredness contributes more as risk factors for depression.
Although mood swings and negative emotions are common during pregnancy, women suffering typical depression is difficult to diagnose. Studies show that depression tends to reach at its peak during the first and third trimesters but less during the second trimester. However, most cases of depression have been reported, after pregnancy, i.e.
Studies show that depression tends to reach at its peak during the first and third trimesters but less during the second trimester. However, most cases of depression have been reported, after pregnancy, i.e. Post-Partum Depression.
Symptoms of depression include:
- Sadness and anger
- Frustration and low-self esteem
- Insomnia
- Social isolation
- Fear of the baby
- Anger and irritability
2. Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder is one of the common women health problems and research shows that 31% of women develop some type of anxiety disorder once during their lifetime.
And during pregnancy, it can cause serious problems resulting in potential harm to the mental health of a mother as well as the newborn. The type of anxiety disorder can be panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. The general symptoms of anxiety disorder include:
The type of anxiety disorder can be panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. The general symptoms of anxiety disorder include:
- Panic attack resulting in sweating, chest pain, irregular heartbeats, feeling of choking
- Dry mouth, numbness in the hands or feet
- Dizziness and weakness
- Excessive worrying and stress
- Depression
- Isolated behavior, social phobia
3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in either pregnant women or after birth is termed as Perinatal OCD.
Some women might have Perinatal OCD before getting pregnant, and hence the pregnancy can act as the potential trigger for the disorder.
OCD can be categorized as obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms include:
- Obsessive behavior, such as germ phobia, constant fear that something is contaminated by germs or dirt.
- An unrealistic thought or image that you might accidentally harm your baby, with sexual and violent thoughts.
- Perfectionism, worrying that your baby is perfectly cleaned and that your baby's bottle is perfectly sterilized or not.
- Compulsive behavior such as constant checking of baby throughout night, cleaning your baby repeatedly
- The constant fear that you might lose the baby through miscarriage.
- Avoid stressful situations, babbling prayers over and over again, reassuring that everything is alright
4. Suicidal thoughts
In 2012, researchers from Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, found that the prevalence of suicidal thoughts in low-income pregnant women living in Brazil was 6.3%.
The cases of suicides were associated with previous psychiatric history, past cases of miscarriage, single mother status, and alcoholism.
Risk factors like depression, OCDs, and psychotic behavior leads to suicidal ideation in pregnant and their diagnosis is difficult than in normal ones.
Major symptoms include:
- Helplessness and emotional pain
- Paranoia
- Mood swings
- Uncontrollable anger
- Self-harm and thinking of harming the baby
- Anorexia and insomnia
- Decreased social contact
- Self-loath, changes in personality
Remedies for psychiatric disorders during pregnancy
1. Mood swings and mild stress and depression can go away naturally, once the baby comes out, however, if the condition persists then, it's best to get professional help. In other cases, you can opt for daily exercise routine for physical and emotional wellbeing during pregnancy.
2. Diagnosis of mental health problems during pregnancy is difficult, so, it's better to do a regular check up to avoid severe cases of disorders. For this, there must be someone to look after the pregnant woman and do regular counseling and guidance.
3. If the patient has past history of any mental disorders than medications and antidepressant drugs like Prozac can be used, but only under the provision of a mental health practitioner.
4. Counseling and various form of therapies such as behavioral therapy, art therapy are beneficial. Under complicated case, hospitalization is suggested.
5. Joining a support group with the combination of counseling and drug therapy is helpful.
It's never too late to share your problems and troubles one suffers during pregnancy. For more information, also see: "
For more information, also see: "Pregnancy is getting company inside one's skin", learn here about the steps to follow and mistakes to avoid during your pregnancy.