How do I know if my friend has postpartum depression?

If your friend is experiecing sadness, anxiety, restless, guilt, tearfulness (any of these such things with even more clinical presentations that can be found on the internet) for longer than a couple weeks following the birth the baby then counseling for postpartum depression may be a good consideration for this particular person. Shifts in moods are normal following the brith of the baby as hormones change and there is a need to adjust to a new role of a parent, but if the shift in mood persists for many weeks following the birth of a child she may have postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is a clinical diagnosis. Diagnoses are protected by HIPAA (a law protecting personal health information). Therefore, you would likely only know if your friend has postpartum depression if you were their doctor or if you asked them whether they had a postpartum depression diagnosis and they told you. This is presuming of course, that they have been evaluated by a physician, have been diagnosed with the condition, are aware of the diagnosis, and don't mind sharing that information with you. Otherwise, it can be difficult for a lay person to judge whether their friend has a clinical diagnosis or not.

Significant mood changes, trouble bonding with the baby, anxiety, guilt, and loss of interest in things are all signs of postpartum depression. Insomnia and lack of appetite are also symptoms. If your friend is willing to talk about it discuss her symptoms and what she is feeling. Postpartum depression symptoms generally last a lot longer than the "typical" few days of "baby blues" that follow birth. The Mayo Clinic suggests seeing a doctor if symptoms don't fade after two weeks, if symptoms get worse, or if it is hard for the parent to take care of the child or everyday tasks.

Your “baby blues” don’t get better. It’s common to have a dip in mood during your baby’s first 2 weeks. After that, you should feel better. But if you’re still sad or even hopeless weeks later, and the feelings are growing intense, that’s more than the blues. Sadness or guilt consume your thoughts. Feeling upset once in a while is normal. But if you have frequent crying spells, or you often feel unhappy about being a parent, or you’re often "down on yourself" as a mom, these may be among the first signs of postpartum depression. You lose interest in things you enjoy. Are you laughing at your favorite romantic comedy? Are you interested in being affectionate with your partner? What about your favorite foods? Are you enjoying them? Are you eating at all? If you said no, talk to your doctor about these changes in mood and habits. You have trouble making decisions. Maybe you’re too tired to think straight. Maybe you just don’t care. If you can’t decide whether or not to get out of bed, take a shower, change your baby’s diaper, or take them for a walk, these may be early signs of postpartum depression.

I think, the body language is the first step to know about the depression. Then I would asses from his tone and replies. Further , I would strike the regular conversation with him or her. If I notice the response to be different. Then I would ask , if all is well. And the response would be enough to know if its ok or bad. I would strike the conversation to know the details, what went wrong and how long. And I would confirm my availability to help them any time. This would help them to open up further and declare if they are in depression. Then I would take them to out doors or a nice conversation to get them diverted , relaxed and get the good mood into them.

If this person is your friend then you will be familiar with his or her normal degree of emotional display and responses to situations. If after having a baby you notice a pronounced change in their mood in terms of negative emotions, you see a greater degree of sef consciousness, depression anger overwhelment. Then there is a strong possibility that they may be effected. The best way however is to seek the advice of a medical practitioner or someone who is trained in identifying the signs and symptoms of postpartum syndrome. Then there will be no misdiagnosis made and the proper help can be acquired.

To know whether a friend has postpartum depression (PPD), you may watch for a few signs. These may include changes in sleep and eating patterns, lack of interest in most things, social withdrawal, persistent sadness, higher levels of anxiety and irritability. Keeping in contact with the friend may help reduce the likelihood of developing PPD. If you suspect that a friend may be at risk for PPD and you'd like to support her, learning the skills to be an active listener could be an effective way. However, if you are hesitant about your ability to help, you could also suggest gently for her to see a professional.

You won't. If you sense your friend is struggling, talk to them. Be there to support and listen. If at any point you sense that your friend or anyone around her is at potential risk of harm, you need to contact the appropriate source. Postpartum can present itself in many forms, sometimes in ways we hardly recognize at all. You know your friend, and you know yourself. Trust yourself. Most often with postpartum the mom has no idea what's happening, already feeling out of control. Pay attention to their words, behaviors, and subtleties.

If your friend expresses feelings of guilt, worthlessness, depression, shame, suicidal thoughts, fear of harming the baby or themselves, difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions, bouts of crying, lack of interest or connection with the baby, feelings of anxiety while handling or near the baby, or a loss of interest or joy in activities that once brought them happiness your friend may be experiencing postpartum depression. Typically these feelings last for more than two weeks postpartum, but time frames vary from person to person. Sometimes women feel shame about expressing these feelings, so encourage your friend to speak about her emotions with empathetic language and open ended questions.

I don't think it's possible to 100% know if someone has postpartum depression right off the bat without an diagnosis. However, you can only be aware of common symptoms, which include having trouble with bonding with ones own baby, insomnia, loss of appetite, and irritation with others. Again though, no one can really "know" that someone has this illness, without professional care.