Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Motherhood: Recognizing the Signs

With my son, at the beginning of our own
healing process, in 2008.

This week's post on Breathing In This Life is from Michelle Rosenthal, of www.healmyptsd.com

Being a mom is a wonderful, magical and inspiring identity. But what if the birth experience – or some other trauma – leaves you feeling less than covered in fairy dust? What if your parenting skills are being interfered with by symptoms and behaviors you don’t understand?

Real or perceived traumatic experiences during childbirth or any other part of a mother’s life can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Post-Partum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PP-PTSD). 

Here are a few facts about PTSD before we define symptoms and what to do about them:

·         70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives.

·         Up to 20% of these people go on to develop PTSD.

·         An estimated 5% of Americans have PTSD at any given time.

·         An estimated 1 out of 10 women develops PTSD; women are about twice as likely as men.

·         Among people who are victims of a severe traumatic experience 60 – 80% will develop PTSD.

·         Almost 50% of all outpatient mental health patients have PTSD. Somewhat higher rates of this disorder have been found to occur in African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans compared to Caucasians in the United States.

·         PP-PTSD affects 1-6% of women who have difficult births.

The good news is: PTSD is an entirely treatable condition. Because PTSD and PP-PTSD can be frequently misdiagnosed as Bi-Polar Disorder or Post-Partum Depression, it’s helpful to recognize PTSD symptoms, and even have tools to begin diagnosing yourself. The more self-empowered and proactive you are about your experience the more quickly you’ll find help, and relief.

Signs of PTSD

Symptoms of PTSD are divided into three categories:

1 – Re-experiencing: This cluster of symptoms includes intrusive thoughts (you can’t stop thinking back over the traumatic experience), feeling like the event is happening again in real time, nightmares and flashbacks.

2 – Arousal: These symptoms focus on a constant need to ensure safety, including heightened sensory activity, hyper vigilance, insomnia or difficulty falling asleep, outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating and exaggerated startle response.

3 – Avoidance: This behavior includes avoidance of people, places, things, conversations and experiences that remind you of the traumatic event, plus a feeling of detachment, the inability to have loving feelings, and a diminished interest in participating in important activities.

How do you know if these PTSD symptoms accurately apply to you? Take this PTSD Self-Test to begin forming a picture that you can share with  your physician or mental health professional.

The most important and immediate action is to talk about what you are experiencing. Open up to someone close to you and explain what’s troubling you. The longer PTSD goes untreated the worse it gets; recognizing and treating it as soon as possible are critical to lessening your experience of it.

Treating PTSD

There is no single, universal treatment for PTSD. Modalities range from the traditional talk therapy and cognitive behavior therapy, to the alternative, including somatic experiencing, information processing, hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Trauma leaves an enormous imprint on the subconscious mind. Because of this, most survivors find it helpful to combine traditional PTSD treatment modalities with alternative PTSD treatment techniques in order to find relief.

While there is no set procedure and no standard recovery period, the opportunity to overcome PTSD exists for everyone. The process usually involves trying different therapeutic techniques to find what resonates and feels most comfortable with you. The most effective healing work will be achieved in a modality that feels safe, guided by a practitioner with whom you feel confident and secure.

Michele Rosenthal is a Self-Empowered Healing Coach and the founder of www.healmyptsd.com, a site for PTSD information and support. A trauma survivor who healed after more than 25 years of PTSD, Michele now devotes her career to helping others learn to clarity, verify and strategize their PTSD recovery. Her PTSD memoir, BEFORE THE WORLD INTRUDED, will be published in September 2011. Currently, she is launching the very first live virtual PTSD support groups.

A Fear Vaccine

I just finished reading my requisite Oprah article for the day. No joke.

My "To Do" list for the next few weeks (actually months) has arrived and weighs about as much as an anvil (you know the kind in the Road Runner cartoons). My attempts to keep the proverbial anvil of stress off my head and shoulder area include yoga, time in meditation (yes, that's also yoga), and spending time with family - and oh yes, reading an Oprah article (or 6, like this morning) a day.

I actually read, on average, about one "Oprah article" a day. You know the kind - they are eternally uplifting, positive thinking, and empowering to women. They are effective because they are written by other women - they have had to negotiate the road blocks, pot holes, and sometimes land mines along life's road - and have survived to tell their story. Oprah articles usually spotlight the essence of women helping women - something we need more of in our society today.

Today's article was a shot in the arm for me (a positive one, if there is such a thing).
Try this one on for size - and see if this short and sweet article vaccinates you against fear like it has for me:

Donna Braziles, author and political commentator, "4 Things To Make Peace With."

*I took this photo while I was in Philadelphia presenting at the 61st Annual NATA Convention. The Liberty Bell is a symbol of liberation from oppression and fear for many people, not just Americans.

Do women in America fear birth?

Recently, a well known childbirth magazine published a question about birth in America and invited feedback from health care professionals and readers. The question: Why do women in America fear birth?

I immediately responded to this question because I believe we are in danger of losing the birth experience in America today.

Medical intervention during birth is at an all time high, with surgical birth rates (C-sections) at 33% (three times higher than recommended) and medicated births at over 80%. Despite medical intervention, still, America's infant mortality rate is the 2nd highest of all industrialized nations. The truth is medical intervention birth does not automatically mean a safer or better birth.

Here is my answer to Midwifery Today:

Fear of birth is common, if not universal, among pregnant women. I believe the main reason women fear birth in this country is because there are not enough natural birth examples to guide expectant mothers.

As a health care professional and mother, I try to lead by example. However, in my own childbirth experiences, both personal and professional, there are two few women helping women give birth. There are too few mothers who give birth with women by their side, nurturing them, caring for them, and respecting their choices. There are too few examples of supportive, loving partners who learn pain management techniques to help their mate. And, there are even fewer examples of health care professionals who create a compassionate environment for a natural birth experience.

The reason for a paucity of "leadership by example" is multi-faceted.

Many childbirth experts believe the loss of childbirth empowerment and experience began in the early 1900's with the introduction of medicalized birth. As medical intervention has increased, fewer examples exist of women who are giving birth with little medical intervention. Birth has now become a major medical event that provides hospitals with almost 60% of their profits. Birth has become a medical diagnosis that, more than 80% of the time, "requires" hospitalization.

Birth is fast losing its cultural importance as a rite of passage. In addition, fear arises because women have been taught to depend on medicine to birth their babies. As a result, women no longer know how to trust their bodies in birth. It is fear and distrust of the birth experience which will eventually cause us to completely lose the birth experience in America.

Women have historically given up, but now are fighting to regain, the basic human right of being allowed to birth and care for their child in the manner they see fit. In many states women are unable to have home births, professional midwives, or even use birthing balls or choose which way they lay down to give birth. I had to drive 2 hours (during labor, mind you!) in order to birth with a midwife in a facility that allowed me to use holistic methods. Because I am a part of the medical establishment and also a mother who has experienced the loss of rights during pregnancy and birth (before I found my wonderful midwife), I can strongly say it is time for women to finally return to giving birth on their own terms.

Women need to, arm in arm, help each other give birth. We must help dispel this fear based mentality & alarmist attitude surrounding pregnancy & birth. Only then can we reclaim birth as a rite of passage.

This blog and my future book on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum fitness will help women re-frame birth in a context of strength and courage. I believe every woman should have the chance to be fit and confident before, during, and after birth.

In the future I imagine a beautiful, blossoming, organic garden of new mothers and experienced mothers, together with their caring supporters, giving birth in all of its magnificence and mystery. This portrait, not the current one that has been hung far too long in the collective gallery of mother’s minds, is the portrait of birth that needs to be repainted in America.

*photo with my oldest son taken during my second pregnancy, a few days before I gave birth

Conquer Your Fears

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "everyday do one thing that you fear."

Well said sister. So, I am taking to the roof to conquer my fears.

In an act of solidarity with other women who follow Eleanor's advice, on most days at least, I decided that my fear of heights (despite my high school days as a cheerleader teetering at the top of pyramids & being tossed into the air like an apple), had to come down.

So in order to diminish my literal fear of swinging in trees, and to lower my anxiety which would proverbially keep me "out of the tree tops", I decided I would paint (just a section, mind you) of my home's third story.

When the contractor finished construction on the house, he kindly left the scaffolding up so we could save a dollar and paint the house ourselves. My husband and I literally took to the skies, where the smallest breeze had me grasping for anything to hold on to and feeling as if I could be lifted off the scaffolding.

However scared I was, I stayed and painted. And, I survived and came down to tell the story.

After several trips up and down the ladder, and scooting, sliding, and somewhat walking on the scaffolding in order to finish painting, I learned something.

My fear DID INCREASE when I climbed up the ladder. But repeating this action did DECREASE my overall fear. In the end analysis, after two days of "roof swinging", I learned Mrs. Roosevelt was indeed right. Doing something you fear everyday does decrease your overall chances of being fearful in the future.

Ah - the sweet smell of courage. If we can all stand atop that roof confidently (& breathing!), then we can all better handle Future Fear.

So, the next time Fear rears its ugly head, I'll be better equipped. Will you?

*Photos: Evidence of Overcoming my Fear of heights(and heights + wind gusts), at least for a weekend.