Will postpartum depression get better?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on September 03, 2024
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Postpartum depression can also be recovered to a normal state, usually taking about one to two years. Women are prone to depression after childbirth due to high stress or emotional stimulation. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on relaxing and avoiding excessive tension or stress when experiencing postpartum depression. Additionally, the support and companionship of family members and husbands are necessary to help improve the condition of postpartum depression. It is also important for the new mother to feel secure, to rest adequately, and to enhance nutrition in the diet, including consuming foods rich in protein and vitamins. It is essential to avoid staying up late and to prevent any stimulation, especially in patients who generally have lower psychological resilience.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Will mild depression get better?

Mild depression can achieve good therapeutic effects. Patients with mild depression may experience low mood, slow thinking, and decreased volition, but its severity is relatively mild. These patients primarily show lack of concentration, or slightly lower self-evaluation, and abnormalities in diet and sleep. Generally, the overall mental state of the patients is still relatively good. Therefore, in clinical practice, the main treatment for patients with mild depression is psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, to improve the patients' distorted and unreasonable cognition, ultimately leading to cognitive reconstruction and achieving good therapeutic effects. Antidepressant drugs can also be used for systematic treatment, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which have an effective cure rate of over 85%.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
1min 1sec home-news-image

How to self-rescue from depression

Patients with depression can self-help through self-adjustment or seek help from a doctor. Clinically, the method of self-adjustment mainly involves exercise, which is also called behavioral activation training in psychology. Exercise can relax the muscles throughout the body. Additionally, exercise can stimulate the brain to release the "happiness element" endorphins, which have a significant improving effect on depression and anxiety. Other methods include venting and shifting attention. Venting typically involves expressing feelings through spoken or written words to others, especially close friends and family. By expressing these feelings, depressive emotions can also be articulated. Shifting attention, clinically, involves engaging in personal interests such as painting, fishing, or listening to music, which can increase pleasure and enhance motivation. Alternatively, seeking help from a doctor usually involves psychotherapy and medication, which often yield good results.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Can people with mild depression drink alcohol?

Patients with mild depression are generally advised not to drink alcohol, especially those who have sleep problems and rely on drinking to solve these issues; they are strongly urged to abstain completely. Patients with mild depression may experience mood swings, slow cognitive responses, and an inability to feel joy. They might have difficulty falling asleep or frequently wake up during sleep. Some patients might attempt to alleviate their symptoms or improve their depressed, suppressed mood through drinking. The adverse consequences of this are an increase in the severity of depression and ultimately the potential development of a substance dependency on alcohol, which negatively impacts the treatment of depression. Therefore, for patients with mild depression, it is clinically advised to forbid or reduce alcohol consumption, with abstinence being the best treatment approach.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Can depression recur?

Relapse in patients with depression is a relatively common issue in clinical practice. Large-scale studies have found that even with systematic, standardized treatment with sufficient dosage and duration of antidepressant medications, still 15% of patients do not achieve clinical recovery. Even with persistent standardized treatment, the relapse rate remains at 20%. If treatment is discontinued, the relapse rate can rise to as high as 85%. For patients who have recovered, there is still a 20% chance of relapse within six months. 50% of patients relapse within two years after their first episode. Therefore, the relapse rate is higher in patients over the age of 45. Thus, depression is characterized by a high rate of relapse, yet it is also highly treatable. Therefore, during the course of pharmacological treatment, psychological and physical therapies should be concurrently employed as adjunctive treatments to improve cure rates and reduce the likelihood of relapse.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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How to relieve postpartum depression

When postpartum depression occurs, the family must provide comprehensive care. For example, it is important to ensure that the new mother gets enough sleep by having family members take care of the baby and handle daily tasks. It is recommended that the mother and baby sleep separately to allow the mother sufficient rest, which can also help alleviate depression. Additionally, choosing a room with plenty of sunlight and ventilating it by opening windows daily can also reduce the symptoms of postpartum depression. More importantly, family members need to communicate psychologically with the new mother, engage in more conversations, and avoid keeping their feelings bottled up.