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Motherhood and Mental Health
Finding a Balance
By Shel Franco
Tenna Perry of Porter, Texas, carries many labels. She is depressive, bi-polar and suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder. She is also the mother of two.
If you are one of the many women like Perry, mental health issues may be clouding your dreams of motherhood and causing you additional stress. Everyone from doctors to family members may be warning you against conception. Are their concerns valid? Can mental health issues and motherhood peacefully coexist?
Psychologist Margaret Paul believes every case is individual, but many women with mental health issues can take productive steps to get a handle on their situation and experience the joys of parenting.
Mental health issues can seem hopeless. Depression and anxieties can become debilitating. Paul believes that mental illness is not only a mind problem, it's a body problem.
"The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind," Paul explains. "Any form of stress causes a chemical imbalance which can, over time, create a more permanent imbalance. Depression, panic attacks and anxiety disorders are the ultimate manifestations of mismanaged stress."
Unfortunately, any new mom will tell you that few life experiences are as stressful as bringing home a newborn. Which is exactly why your doctors and family may be concerned about your desire to be a parent. More stress is not exactly what your doctor would have ordered.
Getting pregnant and handling parenthood means much more than finding the right medications to keep your symptoms in check. However, you will find that your medication plays an important role in staying healthy. Perry's obstetrician suggested she try to get through the first trimester without taking the medications. But suicidal tendencies, mood swings, insomnia and nightmares soon caused the doctor to re-evaluate the situation.
