Simple Ways To Start Fun Family Traditions

Written By:Peter Foster
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) shocked America with its declaration that the treatment of mental illness in this county is very common. The CNN headlines declaring antidepressants being the most common treatment spread throughout the world. This statistic can translate to approximately one out of every ten persons suffering with depressive illness. What does that mean for women diagnosed with depressive illness or those with significant family histories who are in their childbearing years?

In my opinion as a a board-certified psychiatrist, women who plan their pregnancies have better outcomes. My clinical experience in treating this population was the basis for my award winning book, The Pregnancy Decision Handbook for Women with Depression. A popular myth prevails that pregnancy cures all medical problems, especially mood disorders. Unfortunately. reproductive hormones are not necessarily protective against mental illness. In actuality, many illnesses can potentially worsen and place females at risk during pregnancy.

How do you plan for pregnancy if you have problems with depression? First, you have to carefully analyze the consequences of your illness. Carefully detail your symptoms of depression when they are at their worst. This exercise will force you to consider the impact of pregnancy in either direction, with improvement or worsening of your baseline symptoms. Depressive behaviors such as sleep disturbance, appetite changes, concentration problems , energy drains, impulsive and self destructive actions should be noted and you cannot assume they will disappear. Now that you have detailed your symptoms. it is time to outline a plan of action.

Many females with mood problems have an increased incidence of oops babies. In other words, unplanned pregnancies occur most often when mood instability is present. Babies conceived in the midst of significant depressive illness are at risk for increased exposure to medication. The Pregnancy Decision Handbook for Women with Depression highlights treatment considerations and options. It appears that a thoughtful consideration of pregnancy requires both acceptance of the diagnosis and acceptance of the severity of illness. Mild severity is considered to have few symptoms and does not limit the ability to function daily. Moderate severity is considered to have a few symptoms which can make daily living an achievable struggle. Severe illness is the diagnosis for those individuals who suffer with almost all the classic textbook symptoms of depression and those symptoms impede their ability to function. They may also often require hospitalization because of self destructive impulsivity or personal neglect.

Once you have decided, along with your mental health professional, the treatment which will place you at your emotional best, next is the consideration of your baby. All treatments of illnesses have different risk profiles. Medication options, in particular, need to be assessed from a risk versus benefit analysis similar to that of all medical treatments. Diseases of the heart, pancreas, and lungs are not responsive to wishes for a cure. The brain, being another vital organ, will more than likely also not respond to a wish for a cure. Severe symptoms of depression will require active treatment. If medication is the treatment selected, the goal is the mother's stability, which will in turn provide the best outcome for the baby. Mothers who are significantly depressed are more likely to smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol and drugs, and be overweight during their pregnancies. The requirements of self and prenatal care can be overwhelming when one is depressed. The symptoms of low energy and poor concentration, often experienced in depression, can lilmit the ability of an expectant mom to be compliant with the prenatal requirements.

Many have feared treatment of depression because the long term effects are unknown. Unfortunately, obtaining no treatment has its own risks. We know that women with active depressive illness are at higher risk for preterm delivery. It is hypothesized than an increase in stress hormones experienced in depression can negatively affect the placental arteries. Others note that the behaviors associated with active depressive illness can trigger preterm delivery and poor outcome. Overall, the science of depression suggests that active illness is not a good indicator for a healthy baby.

In summary, it is my opinion that women with depression need to be proactive with their illness. If you recognize symptoms of depression and have a family history of depression, get diagnosed by a mental health professional. Once diagnosed, aspire to obtain treatment which will allow you to achieve your optimal level of symptom control. Create a support team as discussed in my book, to help you achieve your goals. Depression is an illlness in which you can get preoccupied with negative thoughts and behaviors. So plan for your baby and follow your recommended treatment plan developed with your mental health professional. Being at your emotional best, with your identified network of support, you will increase the likelihood of achieving the goal of a healthy baby.