Postpartum Depression In Men Does Happen
When most people think of postpartum depression, the most common thing that comes to mind is that this is something that happens to some women after the birth of a child. But the fact of the matter is that postpartum depression in men is something that can happen and it happens a lot more then most people would assume. When the man gets moody or shows signs of struggle after the birth of a child, some people would assume that he is just being insensitive and brush it off.
But postpartum depression in men is real and it is just as serious as depression in women and yet very few studies have been done on it. Compared to the amount of studies down for postpartum depression in women, postpartum depression in men is something that is just finally coming into the light as something that should be greatly considered and looked at. Even though there have not been anywhere near enough studies done on this, the ones that have show that almost ten percent of fathers experience this condition which is pretty close to the fourteen percent of women that go through it.
Seeing The Signs
Since most doctors are not up to spotting signs of postpartum depression in men, it may be the responsibility of the man to look at themselves to see if they really have a serious problem or not. The spouse and close friends and family may be able to point out some things that they have noticed to be different in your mood that you may not recognize. Postpartum depression in men usually shows through signs that the man is feeling like he is trapped or not up to the new responsibilities that is put upon him.
Feelings of being alone or being jealous of the new baby are also things that are commonly seen in cases of postpartum depression in men and should not be ignored. Just like when women experience postpartum depression, this should not be left to work itself out as the problem may only grow and get worse. If you feel that you are apart of that ten percent of men suffering from this, talk with your health care professional and get a counseling session set up. Postpartum depression in men is no joke and you should do everything possible to work it all out so that it does not spiral out of control because it most certainly can.
