Causes of Postpartum depression (part 1 of 2)

I touched a little on causes of postpartum depression in my last post. I would like to go into that subject more in depth, as the causes can be varied and complex. After I realized that I had a serious problem, I sought treatment. How do you begin to treat something if you don't know what the problem is?

I was brought up being taught that people with "mental problems" had a spiritual problem. They needed to "get right with God," repent, or read their Bible more. This belief made me feel like I was more of a failure. I grew more ashamed and didn't want to admit that I had a problem. I felt that my faith should be enough. What I wanted to do was avoid taking a pill to mask the symptoms, while there was still an underlying problem that needed dealing with.

The medical community teaches that there is an underlying physical condition that requires medical treatment, like medication. I was in a quandary. In reality I needed educating about postpartum depression. I went for a visit with my ob/gyn and began researching postpartum depression to find out more about it.

From what I can tell the exact cause is unknown, with the generally accepted cause having it's root in hormonal imbalance. Various studies have been done with inconclusive results. There are lots of theories about causes:

• hormone changes - after delivery estrogen and progesterone levels in the body drop. Hormones can greatly affect mood, causing irritability, anxiety, depression and affecting reaction to stress (as in PMS, teenage females, and menopause.)


• stress - being on duty 24 hrs a day, baby waking up every couple of hours, an unpredictable schedule, and an increased workload.


• Feeling overwhelmed - feeling like you have to be superwoman; doing chores, laundry, dishes, calming a screaming baby, maybe balancing employment outside the home, etc.


• unrealistic expectations - trying to live up to society's standards when it's not possible


• lack of support from family and friends


• marital problems - which can be a vicious circle because the stress of new parenthood combined with any of the other stressors on this list


• financial strain


• sleep deprivation - being deprived of sleep wreaks havoc on the human body. It lowers your resistance to fight sickness, affects your thinking ability and memory, affects your motor function, and affects your mood. Just think it has been used as an interrogation tool on prisoners of war.


• birth of multiples - more work, more crying, and often they are born premature and via c-section


• unexpectedly difficult delivery or c-section. labor is quite tiring, leaving you emotionally drained, and c-sections require longer recovery times. There is also a feeling of lost control when things don't turn out the way you planned.


• pre-term birth or delivery of a child with birth defects - this may catch you off guard and involve emotional ups & downs, and worrying.


• family history of depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, or anxiety/panic disorder
  traumatic family history. I came across this interesting article: http://www.psycheducation.org/mechanism/1MoralityorGenes.htm . This article states that the depression is caused by a gene. The reading gets rather technical with research data. This is the first chapter of a 12 chapter book about brain chemistry and depression found at www.psycheducation.org.


• women who experience severe PMS are more likely to suffer from PPD, according to the American Psychological Association


• difficulties at job


• history of abuse


• poor nutrition - This could be from an eating disorder, severe morning sickness that increased malnutrition, or poverty.


• personality - the way one handles problems. Some people react to stress well, while others struggle.


• expectations of mother or the society she lives in/role expectations (I will cover this in my next post)

Each woman is different. There could be any combination of causes that have been listed. Environmental factors exacerbate an already existing hormonal imbalance. One or more of these conditions might be present, and they build upon each other. People with depression drop deeper and deeper into the pit. Once a person gets in to the pit of depression it is very hard to get out. There is no quick and simple way out. That in itself is depressing. It's easy to get discouraged and give up.

There definitely is a spiritual aspect that is becomes quite important. I do know that in my own life, at the time, there was certainly a war going on. Satan can tell when you having a hard time, and he likes to kick people while they're down. Satan doesn't want people to have a joyful and victorious life. He wants people to be miserable and suffer. Often I felt too weak to fight. It was a fight that I couldn't win. Sometimes it felt better to give up. I remembered Job's wife, "curse God and die." In times like this I needed prayer, christian fellowship, and to read God's word. Bible reading was one of the hardest things for me to do. I was so exhausted and my list of chores was endless. If I got a spare moment, all I wanted to do was sleep. Getting fed spiritually is akin to getting fed physically, though. If all you eat is junk food, then you will become unhealthy. The same is true for spiritual food. So Bible reading and hearing the preaching of God's Word should be a priority.

Job 39:16 "She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear;"