Have you felt your anxiety spiking around your baby’s arrival? You are not the only mom to feel this way. Perinatal anxiety is an experience that other moms may not talk about frequently, but you may know some who have been through it. This condition, which can occur during pregnancy and postpartum, can affect about 1 in 5 women.
You may have symptoms like:
- Panic attacks or moments of high fear or anxiety
- Feeling tense, nauseated or physically restless
- Ruminating thoughts about anxiety-provoking topics
- Avoidance of anxiety-provoking people, places or things
- Excessive worry that interferes with functioning in situations that you know are safe
- Difficulties with your usual eating or sleeping habits
- Fears about your baby, partner or family members
- Anxiety about relationships with your partner or family
You might find yourself feeling triggered by things that didn’t bother you before. You may have symptoms overlapping with other conditions, like peripartum depression or OCD. OCD is characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts. It may involve checking things repeatedly, like your baby’s monitor or the location of things that might not be safe for them. Additionally, perinatal anxiety might come up when you are going through other difficult experiences, like grief for a loss in the family.
If you had an anxiety disorder before your child arrived, you might find symptoms worsening. Perinatal anxiety may show up as an increase in symptoms of a condition like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). You can assess possible GAD symptoms here or panic disorder symptoms here. Find more ways to check on your mental health in this article about self-assessment tools.
Treatment is available. You can see a therapist for perinatal anxiety in Lightfully’s Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) and receive much-needed support.
What can a therapist do for you in VPHP?
A therapist can give you a confidential opportunity to talk about what you’re going through. You can discuss your experiences with anxiety and parenthood. They can:
Provide virtual care so you don’t have to leave home
When you’re in recovery and taking care of a new baby, attending treatment outside of the house may feel like too much of a demand. You don’t have to do that. You can stay where you are comfortable with Lightfully. And while all treatment settings protect your privacy, a vPHP allows you to not have to worry about running into somebody you know in a waiting room.
Offer supportive psychotherapy
They can provide support as someone who has helped other people on their own journeys with anxiety. In vPHP, our licensed clinical therapists use an approach to treatment that draws from our evidence-based Precision Care Model (PCM).
Collaborate with an on-staff psychiatrist
A therapist can work with a psychiatrist to provide comprehensive treatment. Our vPHP includes one psychiatry session per week. You may use this to learn about treatment options, begin a new medication or let our psychiatrist manage medication that you have already begun taking.
Connect you with online group sessions
If you participate in Lightfully’s vPHP, your program will include several hours of group sessions five days a week. Before you begin going to group sessions, you can find out more from your therapist. You can meet people who are going through similar experiences with their mental health in each clinician-led session. Together, you can share your thoughts, advice and wins.
Facilitate family therapy appointments
Family treatment is another part of our program. When your family works together with a therapist, you all have the opportunity to work through issues together in a supportive setting. You may work through miscommunications, find ways to meet each other’s needs or learn about supporting mental health within family relationships.
Offer support after your vPHP concludes
For “alumni” of our treatment programs, we offer Lightfully+. This includes support groups and workshops designed by professionals. You can also get additional resources through monthly newsletters. To find out more about this, speak with a mental health care provider at Lightfully.
Find help for perinatal anxiety in Lightfully’s vPHP
Having a perinatal mental health condition may feel like an isolating experience, but you’re not alone. You may find caring, understanding support by participating in treatment with a therapist and psychiatrist. You can gain additional support in group sessions and strengthen your at-home support network in family treatment sessions.
Moving forward from perinatal anxiety is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.
