87: Postpartum Depression & Psychoneuroimmunology

08/30/18 • 51 min

What is depression? What causes it? We are talking about everything related to depression, especially as it relates to fertility and pregnancy. I guarantee that today’s show will challenge your thinking in so many ways about depression.

When I used to work in clinical psychology, I was always drawn to the work around depression, grief, and mourning. There are different perspectives on depression and many models that try to explain depression. It wasn’t until I went through infertility and high-risk pregnancy and delved into the field of psychoneuroimmunology that I realized that we seek to treat depression in a way that doesn’t actually treat depression. We slap a Band-Aid on the problem without getting to the root of the problem.

Episode Highlights:

Depression is closely tied to the stress response that our physical bodies have, and sometimes the symptoms are subtle and not easily recognized
The stress response is a good thing that protects us and is not just an emotional response, but a response of the nervous, hormonal, and immune systems
We need to shut down the stress response and turn on the relaxation response
Depression is related to the stress response because it affects and compromises the immune system and we get sick a lot
Some changes to our immune system show up as symptoms of depression
Psychosomatic symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong
My personal story of my mood and stress response while pregnant
Why I seek to find and treat the physical aspects of depression and not simply the cognitive aspects
Body symptoms, low mood, frequent sickness, aches and pains, digestive problems, and feelings of “being off,” are all connected to your stress response
Quick highlights of the current research on the link between depression, fertility problems, and pregnancy risk
The impact of community support, social support, and partner support
Don’t waste another day in suffering!

Resources:

Pregnancy Brain by Parijat Deshpande

Episode 74 of Delivering Miracles

Episode Highlights:

Depression is closely tied to the stress response that our physical bodies have, and sometimes the symptoms are subtle and not easily recognized
The stress response is a good thing that protects us and is not just an emotional response, but a response of the nervous, hormonal, and immune systems
We need to shut down the stress response and turn on the relaxation response
Depression is related to the stress response because it affects and compromises the immune system and we get sick a lot
Some changes to our immune system show up as symptoms of depression
Psychosomatic symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong
My personal story of my mood and stress response while pregnant
Why I seek to find and treat the physical aspects of depression and not simply the cognitive aspects
Body symptoms, low mood, frequent sickness, aches and pains, digestive problems, and feelings of “being off,” are all connected to your stress response
Quick highlights of the current research on the link between depression, fertility problems, and pregnancy risk
The impact of community support, social support, and partner support
Don’t waste another day in suffering!

Resources:

Pregnancy Brain by Parijat Deshpande

Episode 74 of Delivering Miracles

Previous Episode

86: Self-Care like a Porsche

Who is taking care of YOU? What are you doing for self-care? We all know that self-care is important, but, if we’re honest, then we admit that it sounds so easy but is very difficult to practice. We go through life pushing ourselves because of being overwhelmed with life, infertility, responsibilities, family stuff, etc. Today’s show is about real-life lessons in self-care that I learned from a beautiful Porsche.

Episode Highlights:

Why we push ourselves instead of slowing down---until our bodies scream at us to stop
What self-care can look like when times are tough: self-care isn’t just for you---it benefits your family members
The massive metaphor: why my car is a total reflection of the state of my life vs. the “Porsche” of self-care
What are we fueling ourselves with?
How do we bring self-care into reality?
The two common excuses we use: there is not enough time and not enough money
How to reframe those excuses by saying, “It’s not what we want to spend our time/money on right now.”
Take a total mindset shift to gain control and reprioritize your physical and mental health
Determine where you’re spending your time and money
How to deal with the guilt and the story you’ve made up to tell yourself
Pick time or money, whichever one stresses you out the most. Evaluate your resources and reprioritize to put the extra time or money toward YOU.
Take care of yourself to enjoy your life more
What is your ONE TINY THING?
Delegate, outsource---whatever it takes!

Resources:

www.parijatdeshpande.com

Next Episode

88: Storytelling as a Way to Heal from Trauma

If you’ve experienced reproductive trauma, then you know the real, raw side of family-building---and you know that it’s not always pretty or easy. Do you like to talk about your experience? It may seem normal to want to hide from the reality because it’s tough, but there is a real need to share our stories. There is something innate within us that is meant to thrive on storytelling, and it’s an empowering way to find healing from your trauma.

Episode HIghlights:

Why storytelling is an important part of history and human culture
Don’t feel like you must hide from your story anymore!
Research supports the positive impact of storytelling on the emotional and physical aspects of health
The stigma you may feel around your story that “doesn’t fit” or have a happy result
The basis of the gentle progression into storytelling: safety first, and then the emotional work
Why we resist the idea of sharing our story
The goal: to unclog and release
Why being inauthentic creates more stress in the body
The benefits of empathy and compassion you develop from hearing your own story
The tendency women have to blame themselves for the trauma: “It’s MY fault.”
Telling your story gives you the chance to re-author your story to create a more empowering version of what you’ve been through
Three phases: journaling, composing the story, and sharing the story
Your story is flexible and will evolve and change over time
How to start telling your story: “Don’t be afraid to start with the mirror.”
It’s about creating the change your body is looking for in order to heal
Integrate your trauma into who you are, so you can recall it from a place of pride and confidence