Postpartum's Gaping Black Hole

I had no idea what was happening to me. I only knew that the worst thing in the world was to be conscious.by Denise Blumberg

\My first struggle with Postpartum Depression occurred when I was still living in the United States, with my husband and three kids. I was 33 years old, and had for the previous six years been working on my Ph.D. A mere two weeks after submitting the final draft of my thesis, I gave birth to a healthy, eight-pound baby girl. She was born at home, by choice, and I was surrounded by friends and care-givers.

The period immediately following her birth was exhilarating. My Ph.D. came through during Sukkot, which added to an already festive Yom Tov. Life was normal and happy. I was busy with the kids, tending to my family's needs, the house, going back to aerobics classes – all the normal functions of daily living.

What Is Depression? What Causes Depression?

Written by Christian Nordqvist

Feeling sad, or what we may call "depressed", happens to all of us. The sensation usually passes after a while. However, a person with a depressive disorder - clinical depression - finds that his state interferes with his daily life. His normal functioning is undermined to such an extent that both he and those who care about him are affected by it.

According to MediLexicon's Medical Dictionary, depression is "a mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation (or less frequently agitation), withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia."
What are the different forms of depression?There are several forms of depression (depressive disorders). Major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder are the most common.

Risk Of Postpartum Depression Higher For Latinas Victimized By Domestic Violence

Latinas who endure violence at the hands of a partner during or within a year of pregnancy are five times more likely to suffer postpartum depression than women who have not experienced such violence, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities.

The study, published in the current issue of Archives of Women's Mental Health, suggests that recent exposure to intimate partner violence, or IPV, is a much stronger prenatal predictor of postpartum depression than even prenatal depression, which is generally considered the most significant predictor.

In addition, recent partner violence has a stronger effect on postpartum depression than prior episodes of trauma from either partners or non-partners, the researchers said.

The authors suggest that pregnant women be screened for both prenatal depression and IPV.