Postpartum mental disorders: psychosis, depression. Postpartum psychosis - why do women who have given birth sometimes “blow the roof off”? Postpartum psychosis symptoms

After giving birth, the woman seemed to be replaced. The newly made mother behaves aggressively, eats almost nothing, refuses to sleep, and does not let anyone near the baby. "I know you want to kill him!" She repeats frantically. Do you think this is the beginning of a detective story? Not. This is how a disease, dangerous to the life and health of the mother and child, begins - postpartum psychosis.

In perfectly healthy women, postpartum psychosis is quite rare. In this case, the blame for everything is hormonal changes in the body of the woman in labor, as well as the strongest emotional shock caused by the birth of a child.

Basically, postpartum psychosis threatens women who are initially at risk. The provoking factors include:

1. Heredity, genetic predisposition (delusions of reason were found in the family, among blood relatives).
2. Mental illnesses diagnosed even before pregnancy, traumatic brain injuries, brain infections.
3. Traumatic environment in the family during gestation and after childbirth, constant overwork, systematic lack of sleep, strong physical fatigue mothers, chronic emotional stress.
4. Very difficult childbirth with a lot of blood loss or blood poisoning, which led to a serious deterioration in well-being.
5. Abuse narcotic substances, alcohol.

Postpartum psychosis occurs in only 0.1 - 1.2% of women in labor, most of whom are primiparous. After the second and subsequent births, this condition develops much less often.

The main symptoms of postpartum psychosis

The manifestations of the disease can be seen in a woman in labor in the first days after the birth of a child, but most often signs of disorder appear 2-4 weeks after discharge from the hospital.

The new mother complains about bad feeling, chronic fatigue, insomnia. She may suffer from regular headaches, stomach cramps or cramps in the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart.

Mood swings are pronounced. Hysterical bouts of anger are replaced by joy, hyperactivity turns into depression, lethargy and excitement - into a breakdown, weakness. Loquacity, openness suddenly without apparent reasons are replaced by gloom, depression.

The woman eats very little and is reluctant, loses her appetite. Familiar tastes and smells cause unexplained, previously uncharacteristic reactions.

In the future, anxiety grows to the size of obsessive and frankly delusional ideas - for example, a young mother may claim that the child has been replaced in the maternity hospital, that they want to kill or steal him. All around there are dangers that threaten the life and health of the baby, those around them cause unfounded fears and suspicions. In this case, the newborn is exposed to excessive care, the mother does not even let anyone close to her child. Or, on the contrary, there are manifestations of complete indifference and dislike for the baby: the woman refuses to feed, take care of her child, speaks of her desire to harm him in any way.

At this stage, the patient develops various hallucinations, hears non-existent voices or noises, talks to herself, smells, sees events, objects that do not exist in reality.

In severe cases, even attempts at suicide or injury to one's own child, murder are possible.

At the same time, the woman in labor herself is not able to objectively assess her behavior, considers it absolutely normal, denies the need for medical intervention.

It is important for relatives and friends to be conscious of what is happening. Of course, many women, having given birth, experience manifestations of anxiety, anxiety associated with a new high responsibility, with hormonal changes in the body. However, postpartum psychosis is a serious mental disorder that has nothing to do with normal maternal anxiety.

In the video, psychiatrist Sergei Vetoshkin talks about the consequences of postpartum depression and psychosis, what are the causes of this condition and why it is necessary to consult a doctor on time

Unlike postnatal depression, which often goes away in mild forms on its own, psychosis after childbirth, if treatment is not started on time, is dangerous for the mother herself, her baby and those around her. Relatives must necessarily isolate the baby from the mother, since in this state she is not able to answer for the consequences of her actions. And it is very important to apply for medical help... The sooner a woman receives the necessary treatment, the greater the chances of a favorable outcome and a quick return to normal life. Otherwise, the consequences can be completely unpredictable.

How to diagnose and treat

If postpartum psychosis began to develop already in the hospital, then the woman is immediately prescribed specific therapy, for the continuation of which the patient can be transferred to a psychiatric hospital.

Unfortunately, most often the manifestations of psychosis become noticeable much later, when the woman in labor has already left the walls of the hospital and is not under the supervision of doctors. It is very important that in the first weeks after childbirth there are attentive and friendly relatives nearby, who can not only provide support, but also sound the alarm if the behavior of the young mother seems suspicious to them. This is especially true for women at risk of postpartum women, but since postpartum psychoses also develop in perfectly healthy women, it is better not to leave a newly-made mother alone at all.

To normalize the condition in postpartum psychosis, the following medications are used:

1. Antidepressants. They help with depression, reduce manifestations of anxiety, irritability, normalize sleep, appetite, and restore interest in life.
2. Normotimics. Stabilize mood, are used to prevent relapse in affective disorders of consciousness. Reduce irascibility, impulsivity.
3. Antipsychotics. They are prescribed for distortions of adequate perception of the real world and disorganization of behavior.

Taking medications must be combined with psychotherapy sessions. It is important to help the patient accept her new status as a mother and the fact that the child is born. The woman will again begin to rejoice and appreciate the changes that have taken place in her life, and will stop feeling fear of caring for the baby. She will again feel the support of family and friends who will be able to tell her what to do with the child if the process of caring for him is too scary.

Often, postpartum psychosis, if symptoms indicate a severe illness, requires hospitalization for treatment. In this case, the patient's close people take care of the newborn. Even if the course can be taken at home, it will have to be temporarily protected from communication with the child. It should also be taken into account that the mother will not feed the baby for the entire therapeutic period. breast milk from taking medication.

At home, it is necessary to observe a number of conditions for the speedy recovery of a young mother:

• to provide the patient with a state of rest, comfortable conditions for rest, completely free from household chores, monitor compliance with sleep and food;
• make sure that the general atmosphere of the house is calm, peaceful, benevolent;
• exclude visiting guests, if possible, isolate other children living in the house from the sick woman;
• do not leave the patient alone, control medication in strict accordance with the doctor's recommendations;
• treat the patient with warmth, compassion and understanding, since she really needs the full support of family members. During this period, it is very important that someone is constantly there, consoles, encourages, entertains, does not allow anxiety and depression.

If you follow these and medical recommendations exactly, bring the course of treatment to the end, then the patient will have a real chance to recover and return to his baby. Treatment postpartum psychosis - it's not a quick matter, but under the supervision of a psychiatrist, a woman will remain for a long time even after recovery.

Warning capability

Unfortunately, psychiatry does not yet know how to surely prevent postpartum psychosis. But doctors concluded that mothers who have completed special training courses for childbirth, the risk of getting sick decreases. This is due to the fact that the level of stress from the birth of a child decreases, it is easier for the mother to cope with new responsibilities.

Women who have already been diagnosed with mental disorders during pregnancy are shown observation not only by a gynecologist, but also by a psychiatrist. And it will be enough for expectant mothers from the risk group to carefully study possible manifestations postpartum psychosis and familiarize your loved ones with this information.

Output

Postpartum psychosis is quite rare but extremely serious illness, the reasons for which are still not fully understood. Any new mother can face such a condition, so it is very important to know at least approximately the signs and symptoms of this disorder. This will help to avoid serious consequences and not delay the visit to a doctor, if necessary.

Postpartum psychosis occurs in women in the first days after childbirth. This is a rather serious illness, as it is a rare mental disorder, but it is curable. Psychosis occurs suddenly, the main thing is to recognize its symptoms in time and begin treatment. The earlier therapy starts, the faster the woman will recover. Usually recognized postpartum psychosis appears in the second to fourth week. If you do not start treatment right away, then it can drag on for a long time. With timely therapy, postpartum psychosis can disappear in 2-3 weeks.

Causes of the disease

Very little is known about the causes of psychosis. There are suggestions that psychosis appears due to hormonal changes female body after childbirth, complications during childbirth and emotional stress from the birth of a baby. The appearance of the disease can be affected by the regular lack of sleep and fatigue of a young mother.

There is a high risk of postpartum psychosis in women whose relatives have had this disease or women who have had bipolar depression or schizophrenia. It is also very susceptible to women who, after the first birth, have already had such a disease, after all subsequent births there is a high probability that postpartum psychosis will recur.

A strong provoking factor in the onset of postpartum psychosis is the mother's use before pregnancy or during drugs. For those who are at risk, it is best to consult with a psychiatrist, this will avoid the onset of illness. Postpartum psychosis is a rarer disease than depression after childbirth, and it rarely develops in women in labor.

Signs of postpartum psychosis

If at least one of the following symptoms is noticed in a woman who has recently given birth, then it is imperative and urgent to consult a doctor.

• A woman who has given birth develops absent-mindedness, she cannot express her thoughts normally. Talkativeness is abruptly replaced by aversion to communication.
• Aggressive mood is abruptly replaced by euphoria, alternating with depression.
• The preference for tastes and smells changes. A woman may begin to refuse food.
• Sleep disturbance, insomnia. The woman does not want to sleep, crazy ideas appear in her head one after another. Auditory hallucinations may occur.
• The woman unnecessarily protects the child. She thinks that everyone around wants to harm him, steal, maim. Because of this, the mother does not leave the house, does not move away from the child and tries to hide him from everyone.
• It happens that some mothers, on the contrary, lose interest in their child. Sometimes they even try to get rid of the children. They can harm, cripple. The same attitude is shown to other relatives and friends.

A woman suffering from postpartum psychosis may not acknowledge the illness and may not accept the help and advice of others. Therefore, her family should take care of her and be sure to take her to see a psychiatrist. Such a disease cannot be ignored, since a mental disorder can be so strong that a mother can harm not only herself, but also her own child, or even try to take his life.

When signs of postpartum psychosis appear, the woman must be brought to a psychiatrist so that he can determine the severity of the disease and prescribe the necessary treatment. Psychiatrists with this disease most often recommend a sick woman to stay in the hospital. Contact between mother and child during this time should be kept to a minimum. It is best if the baby will not be with the mother at all, but will stay at home with relatives. You will have to give up breastfeeding for sure, since mom will take very strong drugsthat will cause huge damage to the health of the child.

With timely and correct treatment the woman gets better after 2 weeks and she can be allowed to go home to complete treatment, but the full course of treatment lasts up to one year. The help of relatives at such a time is simply necessary. They should worry the patient less, and create comfortable conditions and complete rest for the period of treatment. It is better to do all household chores yourself, so as not to strain the sick woman.

Contact between the child and the mother should be minimal or completely excluded. At this time, relatives should take care of the child. It is categorically impossible to leave mother and baby alone, in such a state, without realizing it, a woman can cause great harm to the child or even take his life.

There are no guests during the treatment - no noisy companies are out of the question. Healing requires absolute peace, and noisy companies will create unnecessary tension. Only the closest and dearest people should come to the house.

There should be no quarrels or scandalous scenes in the house. Emotional shaking of the patient during treatment is absolutely useless. They can lead not to an improvement in the condition, but to its worsening. Stress can lead to an even more serious mental disorder in a woman who has recently given birth.

Full communication with loved ones is necessary. You shouldn't leave a woman alone. Relatives and friends should communicate with a sick woman every day. Moreover, to do this so that she does not feel like some kind of mentally ill or one that causes pity to herself.

It is imperative to monitor the intake of all medications prescribed by the doctor. Skipping the necessary medications or, conversely, taking them too often can lead to a worsening of the patient's condition.

Full sleep is necessary for a sick woman - at least 8 hours a day. It is also desirable that she rests not only at night, but also during the day.

Consequences of the disease

If not treated properly, the consequences of postpartum psychosis can be very bad. For example, obsessions take over the head of a sick woman, she cannot control herself, she is in their captivity. There are cases when women in labor who did not receive the necessary treatment tried to take their own lives. Therefore, if the first signs of the disease are noticed, it is imperative to visit a psychiatrist and determine the presence of postpartum psychosis. If his presence is confirmed, then treatment should begin immediately before the disease worsens.

In order to prevent the development of postpartum psychosis, it is necessary to be more attentive to a woman who has recently given birth. Help, support and care. But if the disease does manifest itself, then you need to fight it with all your might, and when she leaves, the woman can become a real loving mother for her child.

A young mother after giving birth can be a real surprise and not necessarily pleasant. Safely returning home with a bundle of happiness in her hands, the woman begins to behave strangely: to talk to herself, to show a strange attitude towards the child, to throw tantrums from scratch. What's going on? Not every family member will be able to immediately understand that these are manifestations of postpartum psychosis.

What is postpartum psychosis?

Postpartum psychosis, or the so-called postpartum onset of bipolar disorder, is a serious medical condition involving mental health problems in the mother who gave birth. According to statistics, from 0.1% to 0.2% of all women with children are susceptible to this type of disorder.

The risk of developing postpartum psychosis increases in those women who have previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Therefore, as soon as the fact of pregnancy is accurately established, a woman who has a personal or family history of encountering these diseases should seek advice from a psychiatrist of the perinatal center.

For some families, neurosis after childbirth becomes a real shock, because in half of all recorded cases, the disease can develop in those women who have not previously encountered a mental disorder.

A woman suffering from psychosis is in an extremely dangerous condition, which can threaten not only her life, but also the life of those around her, and especially a newborn child. The disease, like other types of mental disorders, heals faster and more successfully on initial stagebefore it had developed into a more terrifying form.

The main problem of the patient in this condition is the refusal to accept the fact that she has a mental illness, therefore, her relatives or friends should apply for qualified help. Treatment of postpartum psychosis should be started immediately, without taking into account all attempts to resist the woman herself: during psychosis, she may not realize that she is sick.

Causes of postpartum psychosis

The nature of the development or exacerbation of this type of neurosis has not been studied comprehensively, and there are more questions on this topic than answers to them. It is believed that the start for the development of postpartum psychosis is a powerful hormonal shift in a woman's body during pregnancy and immediately after delivery. For some people, heredity also plays a significant role.

So, let's try on the site site to highlight several main reasons for the development of this type of neurosis in women after childbirth:

1. Bipolar disorder or schizophrenia diagnosed before pregnancy.
2. Genetic predisposition. If your close relative, for example, a mother or sister, has suffered from postpartum psychosis, then there is a high probability that the unpleasant situation may repeat itself with you.
3. Psychosis after the first birth. Women who have had postpartum mental disorder may have other children. And the risk of suffering postnatal psychosis again is very high.

Sometimes, serious brain infections, drug poisoning, or the combined use of scopolamine and lidol during childbirth can trigger the mechanism of mental illness after childbirth.

Alarms and in last weeks pregnancies associated with the birth of a child can become an impetus for the development of postpartum neurosis, but more often this occurs in combination with other, more serious factors: hidden diseases or heredity.

Experts also note that postnatal psychosis develops much more often in women with an unbalanced psyche, prone to irritation and hysteria.

Symptoms of the disease

Postpartum psychosis begins to manifest itself within two weeks after childbirth, the disease may develop later, but this is rare. Unexpected psychosis - this also happens when the first symptoms appear already several hours after the birth of a child.

It can be understood that a woman has begun postpartum psychosis, knowing the manifestations of this disease:

1. Frequent mood swings: a depressed state can disappear within a minute, being replaced by aggression, hysterical laughter or an instant feeling of joy and peace.
2. Manic manifestations: A woman may show overly active custody of her baby, while her extreme concern about his state of health borders on the manifestation of terrible hatred of him. She may blame the maternity hospital staff for having her baby changed. Pursued by the thought that she is holding someone else's child, she may try to kill him. Or be dissatisfied with the fact that she and the newborn are given too little attention and care, that doctors hide information from her about serious pathologies in the child.
3. General negative emotional background: the woman is aggressive, does not allow relatives or medical staff to approach her and the child, suffers from insomnia, anxiety, confusion of thoughts. Along with sleep disturbance, she may have no appetite, a woman may complain of fatigue, apathy and the meaninglessness of her existence.
4. Hallucinations: voices in the head that prompt it to take certain actions, smells or noise that doesn't really exist. Sometimes a woman believes that she has superpowers or unique healing powers. One gets the feeling that the personality has been changed: she can conduct conversations with herself or with “someone in her head”, answer the questions asked to her incoherently and indistinctly, it is difficult for her to understand the order of things and phenomena.
5. Unawareness of her condition: the patient refuses any kind of help, because considers his behavior to be completely normal.

All these dire signs indicate that the woman is in a state of postpartum psychosis and needs urgent medical attention. A mother with a child should not be let out of control: she can harm herself or her child. A woman may try to strangle the baby or attempt suicide, obeying her delusional delusions.

Sometimes relatives can ignore these changes in the psyche of the woman in labor, believing that this is and relying on the fact that the unbalanced state will stabilize over time by itself. This is a very big mistake: postpartum psychosis, unlike depression, is much worse both in terms of manifestations and in terms of consequences.

Elimination of postpartum psychosis

Fortunately, postpartum psychosis in women is curable and treatment is mostly medication. By the decision of the doctor, a woman, depending on the severity of her condition, can be assigned the following types drugs:

1. Antipsychotics - means for eliminating imaginary perceptions and thinking disorders.
2. Antidepressants - to correct the depressive state of the patient.
3. Normotimics are mood stabilizers or agents that can smooth out and soften harshness in a person's character.

If along with mental illness other pathologies are present (postpartum complications, exacerbation chronic diseases), then the treatment should be comprehensive.

If the disease begins to manifest itself in the hospital, as a rule, treatment begins already there. After discharge, the patient is sent to the hospital to continue the treatment course, while the child must be isolated from communication with the mother during an exacerbation. If the patient is receiving medications, breastfeeding should be temporarily canceled and the baby transferred to. But you can try to talk to her so that she expresses milk.

After your mom returns home, you can try to restore breastfeeding.

In order for a woman to "come to her senses" after the experience, it may take from two weeks to several months in the most severe cases.

It is very important to fix postpartum psychosis in women who have given birth as early as possible, then treatment will take less time and effort.

After the woman in labor returns home, her relatives must provide the most comfortable conditions for her. This also applies to household duties - relatives will have to take most work at home for yourself and provide mom with a favorable overall emotional background. Women surviving strong neurosis after giving birth, they quickly got used to normal life if they received full support from family members. In no case should a woman be accused of behaving inappropriately: there is no fault of her in what happened.

If the spouses are planning another child, then after the onset of pregnancy they need to notify their gynecologist that the woman has already experienced psychosis after the first birth. In this case, obstetricians will be ready to provide appropriate assistance in the first hours after childbirth if the disease begins to manifest itself again.

In the first days after childbirth, some women may experience a rare mental disorder called postpartum psychosis. The disease is severe, but treatable. It is important to recognize the signs of an incipient disorder in time. Moreover, it may turn out to be a big surprise for relatives, appearing suddenly. Although gradually developing psychosis is difficult to recognize immediately.

Postpartum psychosis is a rare mental disorder that usually occurs in the first 2-4 weeks after childbirth. With timely diagnosis and a quick start of therapy, a woman can get out of this rapidly developing state in a few weeks, and with a belated diagnosis, recovery can take months. Often, a woman suffering from postpartum psychosis is unaware of her painful condition. Source: Wikipedia

Causes of the disease

Little is known about the causes of the disease. Doctors are inclined to believe that a sharp hormonal change in the female body in the postpartum period can provoke the development of psychosis, complications during childbirth, emotional stress from the birth of a child. Constant lack of sleep, severe fatigue of the mother can also serve as a push.

Women whose relatives have suffered from postpartum psychosis, as well as women with a history of bipolar depression or schizophrenia, are more at risk of getting sick. If a woman has already been diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after the first birth, there is a high probability of its recurrence after the second pregnancy.

The use of drugs before pregnancy can provoke the development of psychosis.

Everyone who has a high risk of getting sick should definitely consult a psychiatrist in order to minimize the likelihood of the disease.

Fortunately, postpartum psychosis is much less common than postpartum depression — approximately 0.1% of women in labor develop it.

Signs of postpartum psychosis

Contact a psychiatrist immediately if you notice the following symptoms in a woman who recently gave birth (literally in the first days after childbirth):

• A woman becomes absent-minded, cannot clearly express her thoughts. Periods of talkativeness are replaced by unwillingness to communicate;
• Aggressiveness or euphoria alternates with depression, and mood changes occur quite abruptly;
• The perception of taste and smell changes. Even refusal to eat is possible;
• Insomnia. If a woman's sleep is disturbed, she does not want to go to bed, this should also alert loved ones. She may develop delusional ideas and visions, auditory hallucinations;
• A woman has obsessions, it seems to her that the baby is in danger, they want to take his life, kidnap him. She does not allow anyone to approach the child, refuses to talk to people, is afraid to go out into the street;
• Or, on the contrary, the child becomes hated by the mother, she is even able to try to kill him. And he can show complete indifference to him. The same attitude can be towards people close to her.

The woman herself does not understand that she is sick, completely inadequate, so her family should take care of her and show her to the psychiatrist.

It is necessary to take this disease seriously. After all, a sick person, without receiving the necessary treatment, can not only harm herself and the child, but also deprive herself and his life.

Treatment

At the first suspicion of a disease be sure to consult a psychiatrist. He will examine the patient and prescribe the necessary treatment for her.

Most often, a sick woman is admitted to the hospital. If there are conditions in the clinic, the baby is next to the mother. Basically, there are no such wards in the hospital, so the baby is at home with someone from his family. If the child is with his mother, then breastfeeding the baby during treatment is prohibited, because his mother receives strong antipsychotic medications, various mood stabilizers (normotimics).

Usually, the patient's condition improves in a couple of weeks so much that she can be discharged home for follow-up treatment. The full course of treatment can last from six months to a year.

A lot of strength and patience will be required from relatives and friends:

• It is necessary to provide the sick mother with comfortable conditions conducive to recovery: peace, the opportunity to rest more;
• Most of the household chores will have to be taken over by the husband and other family members;
• During the course of treatment, one of the relatives should take care of the baby, the mother herself cannot yet do this;
• Temporarily limit meetings at home with friends - it is not time for guests yet.
• Try to morally support the woman, talk to her calmly, kindly, without reproaching what happened. After all, what happened is not the woman's fault;
• If possible, do not leave her alone;
• Monitor medication intake, dosage and timing;
• Get a full 8 hours of sleep.

Effects

If you do not start treatment on time, the consequences of a formidable disease can be dire. Being in a state of psychosis, a woman does not control her actions, she is in captivity of obsessions. There are cases when a mother who had just given birth, without receiving timely treatment and being in a manic-depressive state, attempted suicide. And not all of them, unfortunately, were prevented.

An acquaintance of mine, who has suffered from postpartum psychosis, recalls that time as bad dream... Her childbirth was premature, difficult, obviously, this contributed to the development of the disease.

She says that she suddenly became irritable, shouted at everyone, everyone suddenly became enemies. I even had a fight with my mother-in-law. She wrote some vague, incomprehensible notes. Everything around him became alien, life seemed over. It seemed to her that the vitality had left her. Gustatory sensations have completely disappeared. Because of this, she refused to eat in the hospital. She was forced to spoon-feed her. How she ended up in the hospital - she doesn't remember at all. The treatment was delayed for six months.

Three years have passed, and she and her husband want a second child. But a friend is afraid of a recurrence of the disease. So she and her husband went to a psychiatrist who treated her. Now the woman fulfills all the doctor's recommendations and hopes that the terrible disease will not recur.

If you could not avoid the disease, and postpartum psychosis still manifested itself, do not despair. Remember - life goes on. It is very important to be considerate of a woman who has just given birth. Take care of her, help with household chores. Surround her with love. To give mommy an opportunity not to be overwhelmed, to rest more often. And then the terrible disease will recede and will be remembered simply as a severe nightmare.

What you need to know about postpartum depression –

Childbirth is a colossal stress for the body, a physical overload for organs and systems. Postpartum period has many difficulties for a young mother: the formation of lactation, violent involution (reverse development) of the reproductive organs, restructuring of the endocrine glands, painful seams and ruptures, the consequences of blood loss. After natural childbirth or operations cesarean section the woman feels weak and tired. But she does not have the opportunity to rest, relax, recover: infant requires maximum attention and care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

Lactation depletes the mother's body, with milk, valuable nutrients are removed from the body and biologically active substances... A young mother is forced to follow a strict diet, deny herself her favorite dishes. She feels an increased responsibility in connection with motherhood. A woman may not get enough sleep for a long time; not be able to lead the usual way of life: meet with friends, devote time to your appearance, travel; forced to forget about own desires and needs for the good of the child. The baby is not yet able to appreciate all the sacrifices of the mother: he cries, is capricious, sometimes falls into hysterics. All these factors negatively affect the condition nervous system a young female body. If health is strong, the psyche is stable, then problems do not arise. In the opposite case, postpartum neurosis develops, which, when the situation worsens, can develop into psychosis.

Earlier, maternity hospitals used to separate the mother and the newborn. The woman had the opportunity to recover from childbirth, take care of her health and hygiene, sleep well, and calmly communicate with relatives. Joint stay is now practiced. The baby is brought to the mother a few hours after the natural birth. Milk arrives only for 2 - 3 days, before that, babies may experience hunger and cry and cry for a long time.

Important! If a woman in labor feels overwhelmed and tired, it is better to temporarily entrust the newborn to nurses who will only bring it for feeding.

There is no need to be afraid of the condemnation of others, the child needs a healthy and full of strength mother. Nervous stress leads to sad consequences, and the mother's neurosis and psychosis affects the health and development of the baby.

Classification of neuroses

There are the following clinical forms neurosis:

1. neurasthenia - increased irritability against the background of weakness and fatigue;
2. hysteria, the state is accompanied by violent external reactions: screaming, tears, hysterics, a desire to inflict physical pain on loved ones;
3. obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by anxious thoughts, obsession, fears, behavioral disorder, inadequacy in actions.

Most neuroses are of a mixed nature. Often a young mother cannot critically assess her condition and admit her illness. Only the attentive attitude and support of family members helps to cope with neurosis, which, with timely correction, is a reversible condition.

Features of the course of neurosis after childbirth

The main symptoms of postpartum neurosis: increased anxiety, fear, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite. A young mother is emotionally worried and winds herself up for the slightest reason, it is hard for her to endure the crying of a baby. If the baby is sick, then the fears are off scale.

A common form of neurosis is neurasthenia. A woman becomes whiny, irritable, it is difficult for her to cope with caring for a baby and routine housework. Over time, asthenia develops - exhaustion, the sick person loses weight dramatically and looks exhausted.

Important advice for young mothers! Use your baby's sleep time for your relaxation. Simplify your daily homework, prepare simple meals and convenience foods. Walk with your baby in the fresh air as long as possible. Use the help of your husband, older children, relatives and friends. Take a break from your child at least once a week.

Classification of psychoses

Psychoses are serious mental disorders that are very distressing and difficult to correct. Some forms of pathology are not completely cured and require the regular use of potent drugs.

Depending on the provoking causes, psychoses are divided into 2 groups:

• exogenous, caused by external reasons: reception toxic substances (alcohol, drugs, strong drugs), infections, stress and psychological trauma;
• endogenous, caused by disturbances in the work of the nervous or endocrine system, tumors in the brain.

Distinguish between acute and reactive psychosis. Acute form develops with lightning speed and requires cupping in a dispensary. Reactive - is formed gradually as a result of a long-term traumatic situation.

Severe forms of the disease are referred to as genetic psychotic disorders. These are: schizoaffective, manic psychosis and schizophrenia. Motherhood for women with these diagnoses is an unbearable burden.

Features of the course of psychosis after childbirth

Postpartum psychosis often develops in women who have a burdened history of this pathology. It can be exacerbated in the chronic course of the disease. Many drugs used in treatment are potent and are contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding... Women accept them long time and canceled at the planning stage of conception, which is a factor provoking an exacerbation.

Primary psychosis is called symptomatic, it develops as a result of infection of the birth canal. Postpartum psychosis is often endogenous in nature and develops as a result of violent endocrine restructuring in the body.

When we talk about postpartum psychosis, we mean a disorder that manifests itself during the first few months after childbirth.

Important to remember! A mother in a state of psychosis is potentially dangerous for the baby; for health reasons, she cannot always control herself. Loved ones must take care of the safety and adequate care of the baby.

Symptoms and signs of mental disorders

Symptoms of neurosis after childbirth include mental and somatic manifestations... Of mental symptoms identify the following:

• emotional instability: tearfulness, irritability, resentment;
• sudden mood swings for no apparent reason;
• excessive anxiety, fearfulness, phobias;
• obsession with a situation that traumatizes the psyche;
• decreased performance, attention, brain activity;
• violent tantrums;
• changes in behavior, isolation, indecision, difficulty in formulating thoughts;
• sudden weight loss;
• indifference to the child;
• intolerance to certain sounds, photophobia;
• sleep disturbances: insomnia or drowsiness;
• lethargy, apathy, depression.

To mental and behavioral disorders somatic disorders are added. The young mother is worried about: pain in the region of the heart, temples, symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia (dizziness, convulsions, light-headedness), disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting).

In psychosis, more severe complications are added to the described symptoms:

• strange phobias and thoughts: about a possible substitution of a child, about your incurable disease, about a conspiracy or a special mission;
• loss of interest in the newborn up to a complete refusal to care for him;
• visual and auditory hallucinations - "voices";
• megalomania;
• obsessive thoughts of suicide;
• amentive obscuration - the patient does not realize where she is, speech is disturbed, she falls into a "stupor";
• periods of depression, for no apparent reason, are replaced by excitement and activity.

The condition affects appearance, the young mother becomes untidy, does not take care of herself and does not notice it. She stops leading household, housing looks neglected. The social circle is sharply narrowed, in a number of cases a sick mother stops going out and “falls out” of society.

It's important to know! A woman is often unable to adequately assess the severity of her condition. The initiative for diagnosis and treatment falls on the shoulders of close relatives.

Launched mental and nervous disorders lead to serious complications. A lingering neurosis develops into a psychosis, which is dangerous for the life of a woman and her child. A young mother exhausts herself with fears, she has thoughts of suicide, which can be accompanied by active actions.

Diagnosis of mental disorders at home and in clinical settings

Relatives may notice the first alarming symptoms immediately after the young mother is discharged from the maternity hospital. A woman complains of weakness, feeling unwell, it is difficult for her to care for the baby and to do household chores. The patient expresses many concerns and fears about the newborn. Apathy may occur, the mother ceases to approach the child, even if he is crying heart-rendingly. If relatives notice changes in behavior, the woman should be referred to a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Important information! The sooner you apply for medical help, the easier it is to get rid of obsession... When alarming symptoms you can make self-diagnosis using online tests. Frankly answering questions can help identify disorders and assess their severity.

When contacting a medical diagnostic institution, comprehensive examination... The doctor examines, listens to complaints, prescribes tests and tomography of the brain. You should contact narrow specialists: a neurologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist.

In the arsenal of a psychologist, there are techniques for identifying and relieving anxiety. For example, color diagnostics. If a woman repeatedly chooses gray, black and brown from a range of colors, this indicates neurological disorder personality. The classic test - "Rorschach blots", was created over 100 years ago but is still relevant and informative. The examinee is offered 10 cards with ink stains various shapes, some of them are colored, the rest are black and white. The cards can be turned over. The patient examines the blots and answers questions related to the associations seen. The test reveals mental characteristics personality and identify pathological changes. The interpretation of the results should be done by a specialist psychologist who calculates the points and draws conclusions.