Reliable and Drug-Free Postpartum Depression Treatment

Few life events are as emotionally intense and complex as carrying a pregnancy and giving birth. While this is typically a happy time, the majority of new moms will go through the “baby blues” after childbirth. This experience is characterized by mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping. Most cases of “baby blues” last no more than a few days or weeks; however, many new moms experience postpartum depression symptoms or postpartum anxiety symptoms that last far longer and lead to many life challenges. At Bright Wave, we can help you get back to “business as usual” with our innovative postpartum depression treatment.

Understanding Postpartum Depression

Your body and mind undergo many changes throughout your pregnancy and afterwards. While it is natural to experience the “baby blues” for a few days after childbirth, if symptoms do not dissipate after 2 weeks, you may have postpartum depression.

“Postpartum” literally means the time after childbirth. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mental illness that affects roughly one in nine new mothers. The variability in symptoms can make it challenging to treat PPD. That said, some of the most common symptoms of PPD include:

• Depressed mood
• Excessive crying
• Severe mood swings
• Loss of appetite
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Overwhelming fatigue
• Sever anxiety or panic attacks
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Difficulty bonding with your baby

Hormonal changes are commonly the main cause of PPD symptoms, as you’re experiencing high levels of estrogen and progesterone throughout your pregnancy. Once you give birth, your hormone levels quickly drop to normal, pre-pregnancy levels, which may contribute to feelings of depression and/or anxiety.

How Postpartum Anxiety Differs from PPD

New mothers may additionally experience postpartum anxiety (PPA) after becoming a parent. Postpartum anxiety is best described as when a person experiences severe anxiety after having a baby or becoming a parent. These anxious feelings are often out of control and dominate your thoughts. Some level of worry is naturally expected when welcoming a new baby to your family, but if you have PPA symptoms, your worry may be all-consuming and affect your ability to function normally.

New mothers with PPA often have irrational fears or excessive worries about events that are unlikely to happen. At times, the anxiety may be related to a specific incident from your past, but at other times the worry is general and vague. Both PPD and PPA can co-occur in new parents, however not everyone with PPA is also depressed. It’s important to discuss all of your symptoms and feelings with your healthcare provider so they can properly diagnose your condition and provide appropriate support. Once you’ve had that conversation, you can start to explore options for postpartum anxiety treatment.

Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Affects Fathers Too

Although they did not carry the pregnancy or give birth to their new baby, many new fathers can experience PPD symptoms too. It is sometimes referred to as paternal postpartum depression and can have the same negative effects on partner relationships and child development. New fathers can experience PPA symptoms as well.

If you’re a new father and are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety within the first year after your child’s birth, talk to your healthcare professional to see if you’re afflicted by postpartum depression or anxiety.

Tackling Postpartum Conditions with Neurofeedback Therapy

Neurofeedback therapy is an innovative brain training technique that can rebalance your nervous system and re-orient your fight/flight response. Neurofeedback works to re-train the brain by gathering real-time measurements of your brain’s electrical activity, comparing that against normal levels, and providing recurring training exercises to develop new neural pathways.

PPD is a type of depression, and depressive disorders are closely linked to electrical imbalances in your brain. Neurofeedback has been shown to effectively treat depression in the short and long term, and research has shown the treatment to be effective for anxiety disorders as well. In addition, research has suggested that neurofeedback can greatly reduce and mitigate symptoms of PPD by helping new mothers develop greater feelings of empathy for others.

Turn to Bright Wave for Effective Postpartum Depression Treatment

At Bright Wave, we are proud to offer neurofeedback services for postpartum depression and anxiety in Colorado Springs and Englewood—and remote neurofeedback to anyone across the U.S. This non-invasive, drug-free therapy could be the ideal support solution as you recover from postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. We will build a custom treatment plan personalized to your needs and we’ll help guide you toward a significant reduction in your symptoms.

Contact our team today to learn more about your options to treat PPD and PPA.