The initial revisions for the new DSM-V (the diagnostic manual that healthcare providers use to diagnose mental illnesses) have now been made available to the public. We've been watching to see what changes were made, since the information they've had in the past on postpartum depression has been dead wrong. In the DSM-IV it said that you could only consider someone as having postpartum depression if its onset (when it showed up) occurred in the first 4-6 weeks after having a baby. As you all know, that's just not the case.
Postpartum depression can show up any time in the first year after birth. It may be that it shows up earlier, but women may not recognize the symptoms or that something is wrong with them until later. I was diagnosed with postpartum OCD in the first 2.5 months postpartum because I recognized it and reached out for help early. It's prettyhard toignore those intrusive thoughts. But I hear from other women all the time who aren't diagnosed untilmuch later down the road. And even more women who go in later in the first year postpartum and are told they don't have postpartum depression because it's too late for them to have it.
The new DSM-V has changed the onset period from 4-6 weeks to the first 6 months postpartum. Much better. I still worry about women who don't notice any symptoms until after that period, but I'm glad they made a change at all.
I'm going to delve into this further this week, as I've read some of the language regarding perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that they've written and find it a little confusing. I've asked some of the best known experts to comment, and I will let you know what they say.
In the meantime, a couple of media stories on the subject (none of them cover perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, but they do cover some of the major changes in the DSM-V related to autism, eating disorders and bipolar disorder among other things.
I was not "officially" diagnosed until 9 months after having my daughter, though I was seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist from riight after her birth. I have had problems in the past, so I knew right away something was not right, but it still was very hard ri reach out for help. My daughter is now 15 months old and we are still trying to get me on the right medicine at the right dose. Every woman is different,every PERSON is different, and we experience health issued differently. Yet it is human nature to standardize, especially in medicine, but try as they may there will always be cases that do not fit the mold. These patients need treatment just as much as those with "text book" cases!!!
Interesting. My Psychiatrist who specializes in perinatal mood disorders said first symptoms may develop anytime within the first 2 years. Mine did not personally get "bad" until I was about 11 months post partum. However, my anxiety was pretty immediate. My official diagnosis (once I sought treatment) was at 15 months post partum.
I first started noticing that I was overly anxious and not coping being in public situations when my daughter was 4 months old. I was diagnosed at 5 months. By the time she was 7 months I was forced to wean her to go on stronger anti-d's and sleeping medication. By age 9 months I was hospitalized, until after her 1st birthday.
I had no previous history of mental problems either.
Very interesting. I started getting crazy during the third trimester and the psychologist I met with said that that was the first stages of postpartum depression. I started anti-depressants about 6 weeks before my due date and had a happy delivery and months that followed.
I am very confident that it was averted because it was recognized so early on.