Some thoughts that women have shared
The individual woman's feelings, physical signs, thoughts and behaviour that can be brought about by postnatal depression will vary widely. They can manifest as mild signs that noticeably come and go over various periods of time, to severely unpleasant feelings and thoughts that never seem to go away, or progressively worsen.
The range of expressions (or feelings) of depression can bring about an immense inner struggle for the woman, who may feel that something is 'not quite right', but is confused and/or guilty because she thinks that 'by all accounts' she should be happy with her beautiful baby. Women can also feel shocked, or angry, if they expected to be happy and content at this time in their lives, but are not. Other women may 'block out' or 'shut down' their feelings, to avoid (or deny) their emotions and the depression.
Recognising and acknowledging the signs of postnatal depression is an important first step. Reaching out, regardless of how severe the depression feels, is the start of working towards the healing process, and curtailing any worsening of the depression.
Women with postnatal depression may experience some, or a number of the following:
Feelings
Physical signs
Behaviour
Thoughts
Feelings: