Kelly felt anxious and overwhelmed after the birth of her daughter. She spent days crying for hours at a time, feeling worthless, unable to cope and guilty that she wasn't happy with her new child. Kelly and her

husband had planned for the baby and now she was thinking maybe she had made a mistake. She was losing her appetite, experiencing panic attacks, anxiety and insomnia. Kelly was beginning to think she was going crazy and was afraid to tell anyone she was having a fear of hurting herself and her daughter. She was feeling alone and thinking that maybe everyone would be better off without her.

Kelly is among the (up to) 20% of new mothers who experience postpartum depression or a postpartum mood disorder. Postpartum mood disorders are the number one medical complication related to pregnancy. Postpartum mood disorder describes the range of emotional disorders a woman can experience

related to pregnancy like postpartum depression, postpartum panic/anxiety, postpartum mania, postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder, postpartum stress. Postpartum psychosis is experienced by one or two new mothers in every 1,000. The symptoms include confusion, hallucinations, paranoia and delusions. Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment.

Women experiencing a postpartum mood disorder are not alone, they are not to blame, and they will feel better and get well. It is important to seek out information and treatment to best take care of themselves and their baby.

Women with a personal or family history of depression or an anxiety disorder need to be especially watchful for early warning signs of depression after delivery as they are at highest risk for experiencing

postpartum depression. Other factors such as marital discord, financial worries, recent loss/death, poor relationship with own mother, past sexual abuse, alcohol and substance abuse, history of premenstrual syndrome, and infertility can also be contributing factors.

The mission of Postpartum Support International (PSI) is the promotion of international awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing. The non-profit, self-help organization provides free of charge telephone support, information, healthcare and support

group referrals in your area. It also emphasizes the importance of postpartum mood disorder awareness so women, family members and medical professionals can recognize the symptoms and treat the illness.

For information, healthcare and support group referrals in your area, or to become a volunteer, call Postpartum Support International at (805) 967-7636 or check out their website at Postpartum Support International, 927 North Kellogg Ave., Santa Barbara, CA 93111, USA.