Find Help for Postpartum Depression

I think it’s really brave that celebrities like Alanis Morissette Chrissy Teigen have come forward with their stories of Postpartum Depression. I find it’s an almost-taboo topic that nobody ever talks about. I had PPD when I had my daughter and I found there was very little out there to even read about the topic. Women are still ashamed to talk about it. And, that makes it much, much worse for sufferers who already feel so very alone.  Please know you are not alone.  Here are some ways to find help for Postpartum Depression

Find Someone to Talk To

Find a kind therapist to talk to, if you can. Research who is available in your insurance network. If you feel too overwhelmed to do this, ask your husband or a family member to do it for you. It is absolutely worth it.  Use this link to find a psychologist in your area.

Find a local Support Group

You can search online or ask your OBGYNs office for information on this. Again, if you are too overwhelmed, ask for help. You need to talk to other women. The support group I went to was wonderful because women who overcame PPD also attended. Just knowing that things ended up ok for them was also a tremendous help.  Use the following link to find a support group in your area.

Get out of the House

To tell you the truth, it was also helpful just to get out of the house for one of these meetings. Enlist your husband or a family member to babysit for a few hours at least twice a week. Even if you are breastfeeding, you can sneak out for an hour and a half without missing a feeding. Get coffee, get your nails done, go shopping, go and sit on a park bench. Do something that makes you feel like yourself again, even if it’s just for a little while.

Let it Out

I was grieving over my grandfather’s death when my daughter was born, but I didn’t want to cry around her. It just didn’t feel right to me. So, I kept all the feelings bottled up, which made things much, much worse. I started to park my car in an empty parking lot after my support meetings and just cry and let it out there. Even if you are not grieving, you still have emotions that need to be let out. Cry, scream, do whatever it is you need to do.

Read other People’s Stories

As I mentioned before, there is shockingly little published about this subject, but I did find two books that are wonderful resources. Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields is a must read for anyone with PPD.  I realized that many PPD sufferers don’t have the time or concentration skills to read.  Neither did I, but try downloading it on Audible.  Brooke Shields reads the book.  I listened every time I nursed my daughter and hearing her story helped me to feel like I’m not alone.

I’ve never read a book from the “For Dummies” series until Postpartum Depression for Dummies, but it’s really, really good.  The author offers practical advice that’s very easy to implement.  It’s also written in an easy-to-read format, which helps when you have PPD.

Have Hope

Please know that you are not alone. And, I want you to know that you will get better.  I am here to tell you that everything will be ok. Everything will get better. I know that these were the words that I most needed to hear when I was depressed and hopeless and ashamed of my feelings.

Trust me. You will feel better. You will feel normal again. You will enjoy happy times with your baby. was able to get better without medication (but, if you need it, please take it. There is absolutely no shame in it). Three years later, I had my son and had absolutely no signs of PPD afterward.

Have hope—it is the most powerful weapon against PPD. I know everything seems so hopeless and overwhelming right now, but you will be happy again. Everything is going to be ok. You will feel hope again. You will enjoy and love your baby. You are strong. You will get through this.