This Saturday, on one of the longest days of the year, a group of volunteers hopes to shine light on pregnancy and postpartum mental-health disorders with a Climb Out of the Darkness walk.
“Nationwide, 15 to 20 percent of women suffer from some form of perinatal mood disorder and that increases to 80 percent if you have already had some form of mental-health issue in the past ,” said Rhonda Anderson, a board member for the nonprofit Tucson Postpartum Depression Coalition.
She is the leader for the inaugural local walk, which will begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Brandi Fenton Park to raise awareness of perinatal mood disorders. They can manifest in many different forms, the most well-known being postpartum depression.
Anderson noted that an array of symptoms can signify postpartum depression, including crying and sadness; anger and irritability; lack of interest in the baby; appetite and sleep disturbances; feelings of guilt, shame or hopelessness; loss of interest in things that were previously enjoyable; and possible thoughts of harm to oneself or the baby.
“People don’t always understand that anger and ambivalence are symptoms. Feelings like, ‘I don’t like being a mom’ and ‘I wish I hadn’t done this’ are classic symptoms of depression, and that is hard to admit to, because what kind of a mom are you if you don’t want your baby? But it is a symptom of the disease and just saying the words lessens the burden for moms because they realize they are not the only person that thinks this way,” said Anderson, a birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator.
The coalition says it is also vital to bring attention to symptoms that may be indicative of the wide range of lesser-known perinatal mood disorders, which include postpartum anxiety, postpartum panic disorder, perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to birth trauma or past traumas, bipolar mood disorders and, more rarely, postpartum psychosis.
“Some women have different conditions than depression. They may be obsessing about their baby’s health or perform compulsions like checking the baby monitor over and over. These are things that they know sound crazy, but they can’t stop themselves. In the past decade, more of these disorders have come to the forefront and we are trying to let women know they are not alone and they are not crazy,” Anderson said.
She said people are often unaware that these mood disorders can begin during pregnancy — the term “perinatal” refers to the period from conception through one year after the birth of the baby.
“Women who are at the highest risk are those who have already suffered from some form of depression or anxiety throughout their lives — they may be diagnosed or not. It can rear its ugly head because of hormonal fluctuations and the upcoming life changes and responsibility that women realize they are facing, which can be overwhelming,” Anderson said.
The Tucson Postpartum Depression Coalition was formed in 2005 in partnership with Postpartum Support International to address aspects of maternal emotional health through education, support and advocacy. It offers four free weekly support groups for expectant and new mothers (and their babies and partners) city-wide, a free DVD library, a comprehensive list of local resources and a “warm line” that provides support, encouragement and resources from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week (1-888-434-MOMS or 1-888-434-6667).
Founder Carole Sheehan said educating not only new mothers and their families, but also health-care professionals and providers, is a cornerstone of the coalition’s efforts.
“Many professionals address the physical or physiological complications that they want mothers to avoid, but we want them to be aware of anxiety and depression and other emotional disorders as well as hypertension and gestational diabetes,” said Sheehan, a registered nurse.
Sheehan emphasized that once the problem is identified — either by the patient, a family member or a health-care provider — treatments can range from individual and couple’s therapy and support groups to in-home assistance from doulas or other health professionals and medications.
“Moms often feel that they don’t want to rely on medication, but if they have heart disease, they wouldn’t hesitate to take medication for their hearts. Sometimes we need medication to get us back in balance,” said Anderson.
Often a combination of therapies works best, Sheehan said, adding that support groups and activities such as the upcoming walk can help combat the isolation that can contribute to perinatal mood disorders.
Sarah Barrett agrees with that philosophy.
Barrett, who was crowned Mrs. Arizona on Memorial Day Weekend, has chosen perinatal mood and anxiety disorders as her platform after experiencing postpartum depression following the birth of her third child.
The fact that she is a registered nurse on the Mom-Baby Unit at Tucson Medical Center makes her story even more compelling.
“One of the unfortunate things as moms and women — and especially as a nurse — is that we tend to take care of everyone around us and don’t see our own needs. I was in denial and ashamed and didn’t want to have the label of ‘depression,’ so I buried those feelings and it took me four years to recognize that is what I had gone through,” said Barrett, whose symptoms included withdrawal from friends, family and activities. She also cried frequently, felt anxious when she left her house and stopped making herself a priority.
“It was hard for me to admit I was struggling. I wanted everyone to think I had everything together and that made it worse,” she said.
Barrett said her recovery finally began when she recognized the condition and reached out for help.
“I used my co-workers and friends as support, and speaking with other moms really helped me because I didn’t feel like I was going through it alone. If a mom feels like she is struggling and doesn’t feel like herself, it is so important to reach out to someone she trusts, whether to a friend, a family member, or her obstetrician,” she said.
Barrett says she hopes that promoting awareness at the event and through her platform at the Mrs. America Pageant in August will help other mothers.
