Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Resources During COVID-19

For those of you suffering from pregnancy or postpartum depression and/or anxiety, the rapidly unfolding COVID-19 pandemic may not only be exacerbating your symptoms, but also be preventing you from seeking the treatment that you need (and deserve).

Know that we understand and are here for you — being in the throes of a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is painful and scary even in the most normal of times… and right now, life feels anything but normal. 

Please know that even though we are currently practicing “social distancing” to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, help IS still available to you. Mental health practitioners are working quickly to adapt to this new reality we’re all in — many (if not all) are or will be offering their services via telehealth. Therefore, if you’re currently in treatment, stay the course from the safety of your own home. And if you’re searching for a mental health provider, rest assured that you won’t have to wait for offices to open again to get help.

To that effect, during the COVID-19 era, we will be gathering virtual and telehealth postpartum depression and anxiety resources for you, as well as offering ways to keep you connected to other expectant or new parents who may be going through the same thing. You are not alone!

Resources

Postpartum Support International

PSI is an amazing organization dedicated to offering resources and creating awareness about pregnancy and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. We’ve gathered some important information directly from their site:

Our HelpLine, Video Groups, Webinars, FB support, Coordinators, Chapters, Climb Leaders, Peer Mentors, and Trainers are here, as always, and ready. Call us at 800-944-4773, or text 503-894-9453 (Eng) or 971-420-0294 (Español), to connect with the support you need.

Here are some updates regarding PSI services:

1. Our online directory and support coordinators can link people to more than 550 perinatal mental health specialists who provide online services. Find perinatal mental health specialists who offer online services on the Provider Directory. If you don’t find what you need in our directory, then please reach out to your closest PSI support coordinators for further assistance.

2. Our local Support Coordinators provide support and referrals by phone, email, or text.

3. PSI Online Support Groups: We have increased the number of our free weekly online support groups, and added one for pregnancy mood support. Find info on timings and register here.

Click here for a quick reference of all the online/virtual support PSI has to offer, and remember — you are not alone!

American Psychiatric Association

Here are some helpful resources from the APA:

If you are a patient or family member or friend in need of immediate assistance:

• Disaster Distress Helpline
  Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  Call 800-273-8255 or Chat with Lifeline
• Crisis Textline
  Text TALK to 741741

Note that the CDC offers some tips for managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19 as well. Check them out.

 

Graeme Seabrook — Mental Health Expert & Advocate

Graeme Seabrook is pretty awesome. As a mom who suffered from a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder herself, she is now dedicated to helping other moms through their healing. She’s a certified life coach and founder of The Mom Center, an online community exclusively for moms.

Join Seabrook’s “Mom Center” — a website and app that connects you with other moms, offers daily self-care tips (remember — you can’t take care of your baby if you’re not taking care of yourself), a resource library, guest experts, community “video chat” calls, and so much more.

Seabrook also offers private, 1:1 coaching for those looking for support with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.

*Note that this is NOT the same as mental health counseling.

As more information and resources become available, we will be adding them here. If you have anything to add, please leave a message in the comments below. Please check back for updates.

Tips

Here are some tips to help you, dear new mom or dad, stay physically and mentally healthy — always, but especially during this uncertain time of isolation:

 

1. Stay connected to others. Though we may be home-bound with very little social contact, you can still FaceTime, Zoom, Skype or text with family members, friends, neighbors, etc. We are social beings and aren’t meant to live our lives in isolation, and we certainly aren’t meant to raise our babies without a village. Though your village might not be able to come over right now and help take care of your newborn, clean, do the dishes, etc., they’re still there to support you through modern technology. Lean on them that way.
2. Get fresh air. Even if it’s cold or rainy, try to get outside at least once each day if you can; if you can’t go outside, crack the windows and let some air into your home.
3. Stay hydrated! Drink TONS of water. This improves the way your entire body functions — physically and mentally — and, if you’re breastfeeding, drinking enough water can help sustain and/or increase your supply. 
4. Sleep when you can. If you have a partner who is also home during this time, take shifts sleeping at night and throughout the day. Maybe you sleep from 8pm – 1am, and your partner sleeps from 1am – 6am, and you also trade off naps during the daytime hours. What’s important is that you’re getting the rest and rejuvenation you need.
5. Start the day with a gratitude list. Begin each day with every member of your family listing one thing they are grateful for (it can be anything — this morning, my daughter said “cookies”). Starting the day with gratitude can help get us out of our own heads and set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
6. Be gentle with yourself. Simply stated, this is a really tough time all around. Perhaps you’re pregnant, or maybe you have a newborn at home. Your anxiety or depression may be spiraling out of control, and COVID-19 is only adding to the angst you already feel. Please, please go easy on yourself. Know that you are doing the very best you can, and that’s enough.
7. Limit your news and social media consumption. We don’t need to inundate ourselves with news about this pandemic, especially if it’s causing you increased anxiety and panic. Step away from the TV and computer (unless you want to put on some fun, feel-good movies or music!), and, if you desire, set one or two media “check-ins” each day to stay in the loop about the current events.

 

In the meantime, please know that even though it may feel like it right now — especially with social distancing — you are NOT alone. If you are struggling from a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, there are still resources out there for you, and you will get through this… and we will be right by your side to help you.

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