How long ppd last

Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Postpartum depression, another perinatal mood disorder, is more serious and requires treatment. Postpartum depression is considered a major depressive disorder that usually presents itself within the first eight weeks postpartum, but it can occur anytime within the first year after childbirth.

The following are some symptoms that are often present in clinical depression—postpartum or otherwise:. With postpartum depression, you may also feel emotionally detached from your new baby. Your doctor can diagnose postpartum depression as early as 10 to 14 days after giving birth, says Emma Basch, PsyD , a licensed clinical psychologist.

At that time, if you are still experiencing mood symptoms on most days, and if those symptoms are impacting your functioning, then your doctor can diagnose postpartum depression. The sooner postpartum depression is diagnosed, the better. If the mother's depression is not treated, it can impact the child's cognitive development.

Upon diagnosis and treatment, symptoms can improve quickly. Basch says you may feel better within weeks of diagnosis. However, this may not be the case for everyone. Mental health treatment requires an individualized approach because everyone's needs are different. So while your friend may be feeling better two months after their diagnosis, it may take you longer to feel similarly.

The best way to monitor your postpartum depression, Dr. Basch says, is by paying attention to the reduction in the intensity, severity, and duration of your symptoms. If postpartum depression goes undiagnosed , it can continue for months or years, long past the one-year postpartum period. These results suggested that women may still need screenings for maternal depression after the postpartum period ends.

This is increased by new and understandably challenging responsibilities. Postpartum depression can start to manifest shortly after giving birth. At first, it can be masked by the general exhaustion and physical changes that all new mothers experience in the early weeks. It may not be until after the initial two-week period of time that you notice feeling out of sorts or struggling emotionally to connect with your baby. Most postpartum depression symptoms start to deepen over the first four to six weeks after delivery.

Most cases of postpartum depression last three to six months, though some can last longer. Some of the women who experience a prolonged period of postpartum depression exhibit or experience certain risk factors.

Things that might exacerbate postpartum depression symptoms include:. Postpartum depression can do more than just affect your mood. It can make it hard to hold down your job once you are ready to return to work. It can also impact your relationship with your partner or make it hard to connect with other friends and family members.

The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that when a new mother develops prolonged postpartum depression their partner is twice as likely to also develop depression issues. Disconnection with your partner, friends, and family members can lead to intense feelings of loneliness, which further compound the emotional and physiological components of postpartum depression. The changes in brain chemistry, hormones, and mood that often come with postpartum depression can make it hard to fully bond with your baby.

It is normal to experience mood changes during this period, but more persistent and severe symptoms may indicate postpartum depression. Learn when PPD might begin and how long it might last. The onset of postpartum depression is typically seen in parents when their child is between the newborn stage and 6 months of age. The experience, however, is not limited to the first six months after birth. However, some people feel the effects of postpartum depression longer than a year after giving birth.

As more people open up about their experiences with postpartum depression, it's becoming clear that the condition affects each individual differently. When symptoms of depression begin while a person is pregnant and persist after their baby is born, it is known as peripartum depression.

According to ACOG, postpartum depression can occur in people up until their baby's first birthday. There is no hard and fast rule about that one-year mark, though.

Despite its name, postpartum depression is not just something that happens to parents of newborns. Studies indicate that PPD usually resolves within 3—6 months. There is evidence that postpartum depression can be a manifestation of untreated depression before pregnancy. The condition may, at times, be a mental health issue that grows more severe in the presence of hormonal fluctuations, sleep deprivation, and the stress of new parenthood. No timeline can definitively say how long PPD will last for those who experience it.

The timeframe for recovery is different for everyone. For some, it lasts longer than the month average. Several factors may contribute to PPD that lasts longer. Risk factors for longer recovery from PPD:. The " baby blues " that can occur in the first few weeks of the postpartum period are not the same as postpartum depression.

It is normal to experience a week or two of feeling "out of sorts" or even being a little extra weepy or emotional after having a baby. Postpartum depression, on the other hand, continues beyond the initial couple of weeks after birth. Symptoms of PPD include:.

People who experience depression during pregnancy or after the birth of a baby may also experience anxiety. If your symptoms last longer than two weeks postpartum and are interfering with your daily activities, it's a sign that you need to discuss your symptoms with your doctor.

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call Experts suspect that postpartum depression is under-diagnosed. Sometimes, people don't recognize when PPD is happening—in part because many new parents think it's normal to feel constantly sad or tired after having a baby.

If you are struggling to cope, talk to your doctor. A score of nine or greater on the EPDS indicates possible depression. If you have been diagnosed with postpartum depression, it is essential to start treatment.

The sooner you begin treatment, the sooner you can expect to be back to feeling like yourself. There are a number of treatment options for people experiencing PPD. It is common to utilize more than one treatment at a time. For instance, you may want to use medication and go to counseling. It is also OK to try something new if one option isn't working for you.

Work with your doctor to determine which options make sense for you. Psychotherapy is often one of the first treatment options offered to people with mild to moderate cases of PPD.

Interpersonal psychotherapy IPT , which focuses on interpersonal distress as the primary catalyst for depression, has shown consistent results. Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT , which focuses on how your thoughts relate to your behaviors, is also an option.

Nondirective counseling is the most hands-off approach that focuses on listening and self-affirmation. The most important consideration with psychotherapy is finding a therapist that is a good fit for you. You may need to interview a handful of therapists before finding one with a personality and style that works for you.