All About Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a mental health emergency which happens after pregnancy. This illness affects a person's view of reality and may sometimes result in hallucinations, delusions, or other behavioural abnormalities. In extreme circumstances, patients with PPP may try to hurt their children or themselves. Therapy and treatment for this medical condition is available. The sooner the therapy starts, better is the prognosis you will get. Check out this blog to know about the symptoms, causes & treatment of this condition.

What is postpartum psychosis?

Also known as puerperal psychosis, this is a severe mental health condition that can occur after childbirth. It’s rare but serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. A woman with this condition may feel sensations that are unpleasant to her like she might see things that aren't real, hear voices, and feel depressed and anxious.

Postpartum psychosis is an uncommon illness. Post-delivery, about 1 in 1,000 moms experience it. Globally, it impacts between 12 million and 352.3 million women. This condition can either happen within few days of becoming a mother or up to six weeks later.

Symptoms

Symptoms that may occur include the following —

• Hallucinations

The experience of hearing, seeing, smelling, or feeling unreal objects.

• Delusions

This sign includes doubtful suspicions, control delusions, anxieties, ideas, or beliefs. These are usually false beliefs that a person clings to despite contradictory evidence.

• Mania

It is a very "high" or hyperactive state of mind, characterised by excessive speech and thinking, restlessness, or a loss of inhibitions.

• Low mood

This includes depressive symptoms, energy loss, tears or withdrawal, appetite loss, worry, restlessness, or difficulty sleeping.

• Mood swings

It can happen occasionally as a combination of low and manic emotions or abrupt mood swings.

Causes

Although the exact cause of postpartum psychosis is unknown, the following factors increase your risk:

• If the new mother has been diagnosed previously with schizophrenia or bipolar illness

• If there’s a family history of mental disease

• Sleep deprivation can also cause this condition to occur

• Levels of hormones could be a reason for this

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of this mental health condition is based on the person’s symptoms. It can be diagnosed with a physical and neurological exam.

The doctor and healthcare provider will probably talk about the patient’s feelings, thoughts, and mental health in case of postpartum blues. It's normal to have postpartum sadness. It is important to rule out underlying causes of psychosis, so a proper diagnosis is needed.

Imaging scans and blood tests can help doctors to develop a workable treatment strategy. Your healthcare experts may undertake depression screening as part of your examination, which involves having you complete a questionnaire. Depending on the results of these tests, they can determine what your condition is and how to treat it.

Management and Treatment

The majority of cases of this condition are treated in hospitals. However, there’s limited treatment available because of its rarity. With appropriate care, most patients with postpartum psychosis recover completely.

Medical care

One or more of these medications could be recommended —

• Antipsychotics

These medications treat manic and psychotic symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.

• Antidepressants

To help relieve symptoms of depression, these may be used in conjunction with mood stabilisers. These help to stabilise your mood and stop symptoms from returning.

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

If the condition is life-threatening, electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, may be suggested.

• Psychological therapy

Seeing a therapist for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may be beneficial for recovery. CBT may help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.