Postpartum and Other Depressions An upswing in female depression of all kinds? What might the reasons be, and how about solutions? In the last week, since the Texas mother drowned all her five children, I've been scanning the newspapers for information on depression. We hear much more about the postpartum type because it tends to be more disruptive and violent than the run-of-the-mill (or so it seems these days) depression. Nobody knows why women suffer more from all forms of depression but I would venture to guess that it's related to carrying, birthing and raising children. Aside from ongoing media coverage of that horrifying tragedy, one mother in another large urban centre was charged today with aggravated assault on her ten month old daughter, according to a large daily newspaper. A mother of newborn triplets remarked on how when one baby crys continually, she simply moves on to the second one who's smiling...her personal therapy. How is it that a mother of triplets, surely a recipe for postpartum depression can cope better than the mom of one little girl? Relationships must certainly have something to do with it, i.e. spousal help or outside help. In the 10 week -old child's life threatening injuries, there was major parental discord with neighbors phoning police several times. One tends to wonder if the mother was depressed before things got out of control with baby, or did the incessant crying push her over the edge? I can attest to some degree of postpartum blues myself but that happened 30 years ago. I remember having suicidal feelings when I received injuries (dislocated pelvis and tailbone) at the birth of my second child. I was put on painkillers and sent home on crutches, unable to walk at all! Thank God for a support network and good healthy food which brought me back to reality and somewhat better health. If only I'd known then what I know now about the brain and how it can become deficient in serotonin which is what makes us feel good and helps us cope with whatever might be thrown at us by fate or circumstances. I can't help but think about millions of women who go through similar situations, some of them clawing back their health and equilibrium, not allowing their bodies to be dragged down to rock bottom. Others, with weaker constitutions, succumb to the situations and act out what their brains tell them is the only way to go. Pity the families where the women take it out on their helpless little babies. The Texas mother, apparently, was on several types of depression drugs, both from before the birth of her fourth child and after the birth of the fifth. It seems a little irresponsible for those parents not to stop having children when depression was clear...but who am I to say. Personally, I don't find the father totally free of guilt in the murder. He certainly helped in some ways to bring the family to the condition it was in. The fact that he works for NASA makes one think even more that he should have seen what was going on. The mother threatened to commit suicide on many previous occasions, and a sister commented that they were afraid that she'd finally be successful at that if they weren't vigilant, but they never thought she'd kill her own children. Pity. More's the pity that the mom suddenly valued her life more than her childrens'. Her lawyers contend that she's not mentally fit to stand trial (and she apparently told her family that the "Devil is in her body.") However, the prosecution maintains that she was sane enough to phone her husband and, purportedly, the police to ask them to come because of what she'd done. Which means, under the law, she knew enough about right and wrong which may be the crux of the court case. Ignorance of health and the brain is a major factor in these and all cases of mental breakdown. Stronger and stronger drugs are now being prescribed, and rather than healing (sic...drugs, healing?) they actually exacerbate the very problem they're supposed to alleviate! Thyroid malfunction may be part of the problem. Certainly, a strong thyroid drug is the most prescribed medication in the world today. Hypothyroidism brings down energy levels, mood and balance in the body as a whole. "Raging hormones" are another major factor in pregnancy...and the dropping off of these hormones at birth cause mood changes in many new mothers. It has always been assumed in the past that one must eat healthily for two because the baby could be deprived of nutrients. Now, the supposition is that the baby always takes what he/she needs from the mother's nutrition stores, and the mother can become severely depleted in many vitamins including B, the mood vitamin! Something that doctors don't tell prospective or new mothers (doctors actually take only 15 hours of nutrition related classes in all their years of medical studies!) is what to eat to stay healthy throughout the pregnancy and the months and years after the birth of the baby. B vitamins and iron must be stepped up. Good sources of these are alfalfa sprouts, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, eggs, whole grains, fish, green leafy veggies, legumes, and wheat germ. Otherwise, anemia can result with low energy and major irritability...and then the writing's on the wall. Selenium is important as a mood elevator and a balancer of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Common herbs like Ginkgo, ginger, licorice root, oat straw, peppermint and ginseng can be effective. Tryptophan, in the form of 5-HTP or other similar products is a wonderful brain equalizer. Of course a comprehensive multivitamin and any other nutrients that can be taken during pregnancy and lactation are of utmost importance. This is a time when Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can manifest itself. The mother's body is trying to rally from the birth as well as begin producing milk enough to feed a child. The whole body is adjusting to a pre-pregnant state, but must get on with doing something new at the same time....more nutrition needed! Of course, once the brain spirals into depression and can't seem to recuperate, just improving food quality and physical health is not enough. At this point it's a long process of healing the mind and body at the same time, often with counselling. I can't recommend any particular modality, but there are many, many to be tried...color therapy, various types of massage, Reiki, accupuncture, accupressure, etc. These therapies can be a start to a healthier lifestyle. Psychologists and psychiatrists use many innovative methods to help afflicted people get back on track. One thing that most naturopaths agree on is that junk food is a contributor to brain impairment, along with sugar, alcohol, processed carbohydrates and all things that many people hold near and dear. Somehow, this hurdle must be surmounted to get the body to function at anywhere near 100% levels. It seems to be a long hard climb out of the pit, but if one starts small, big things will follow, and tragedies can actually be averted. ----------- I am not a naturopathic or allopathic practitioner, so it is of utmost importance to consult a medical professional before starting any self-healing therapies. Back to the Writing Index