Articles & Resources · When to Seek Help
It’s often difficult to distinguish the baby blues from Postpartum Depression or to determine when common symptoms may need professional assistance. If you experience the following, please call your doctor or seek a mental health professional who specializes in Postpartum Mood Disorders.
- When symptoms of depression or anxiety interfere with normal functioning, fulfilling responsibilities, or caring for your infant or when symptoms last longer than 8 weeks postpartum.
- When you aren’t able to identify or ask for the things you need, can’t keep your expectations realistic, or feel critical toward yourself.
- When you are concerned about your attachment to or your relationship with your baby.
- When your childhood experiences negatively impact your parenting.
- When you and your partner aren’t able to resolve or cope with the changes in your relationship.
- When your plan for making changes does not improve your feelings and situation after 2–4 weeks.
- Whenever you want help developing a clearer understanding of your situation, extra support for your feelings, or experienced guidance through this life transition.
Seek help immediately if you:
- Feel speeded up
- Have little need for sleep
- Are very distractible and irritable
- Are easily susceptible to anger or disappointment
- Your speech is fast and pressured
- Experience extreme distractibility or confusion
- Experience poor judgment
- Are unable to distinguish fantasy from reality
- Experience hallucinations or delusions
- Act impulsively
- Experience sudden irrational changes in mood
- Are disoriented (don’t know time and place)
If you experience any of the above, please call your doctor or go to your nearest Emergency Room.