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Parenting Issues: Returning to Work After Postpartum Depression
Family counseling is an excellent resource for navigating parenting issues.
This week Wall Street Journal Editor Michelle Gerdes shared her experience of returning to the workplace after an unexpected bout with postpartum depression (PPD).
Gerdes described herself as a typical Type-A personality: a perfectionist control-freak who could maneuver challenging situations with finesse and ease. When Gerdes discovered she was expecting a baby, she wondered how it could possibly be any more difficult than the hurdles she had already mastered.
In retrospect, Gerdes now understands that many of her personality traits actually put her at risk for PPD. Instead of maintaining the composure she had practiced many times, Gerdes found herself crying unexpectedly, withdrawing from social activities that had previously filled her calendar, and breaking under the weight of new motherhood. Adding to her stress were concerns of returning to work and being away from her baby for hours at a time. Gerdes also fretted over how, if, or when to tell her co-workers about her struggles with PPD. In fact, until this article, Gerdes had only shared her story with a handful of co-workers.
Unfortunately, an impressive number of women suffer from the same experiences that troubled Gerdes, including fear of sharing their stories. According to Mental Health America, one in five women in the workplace will experience depression in her lifetime. Furthermore, National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 15% of new mothers struggle with PPD. The good news is that inner strength and courage can be gained from people like Gerdes who have stepped up to share their story. With these types of efforts, the misconceptions around PPD will continue to lessen and supportive guidance will takes it place. Most people will face parenting issues multiple times during parenthood and various levels of support are already in place to navigate these challenges, such as family counseling, stress management therapy, and sliding scale counseling. In addition to these outside support sources, those struggling with PPD can find great improvement in self-help techniques. Examples of these efforts include yoga for anxiety, meditation, exercise, and positive thinking habits.
To read the full article by Michelle Gerdes, please visit http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2009/08/24/returning-to-work-after-postpartum-depression/.
