Postpartum depression is a serious psychological disorder that can occur in women after childbirth. It is characterized by deep and prolonged depressive symptoms, which can have a serious negative impact on the mother herself and those around her. The danger of this condition lies in its potentially serious consequences for the health and well-being of mother and child.
Initially, the mother may experience feelings of guilt, burnout, and alienation, making normal interaction with the infant difficult. A woman realizes that her ideas about herself as a mother and reality differ so much that her ideal image crumbled like a house of cards, and the child himself is generally different than thought. Usually this realization is very upsetting and upsetting, causing disappointment in one's qualities and traits. Disappointment is followed by impotence and depression, which can lead to a decrease in the level of motivation and interest in the child. This can affect the formation of a strong emotional bond between mother and child, which in the long term can negatively affect the mental and emotional development of the child.
Treatment of postpartum depression is often difficult, especially with antidepressants alone. One of the reasons is the special physiological state of a woman after childbirth, when significant hormonal changes occur in the body. These changes can interfere with the effectiveness of medications, making them less effective in relieving symptoms of depression.
In addition, many women experiencing postpartum depression worry about the unwanted side effects of antidepressants on the infant while breastfeeding. Taking some antidepressants can cause problems with sleep, mood, and appetite in a baby, because the breakdown products of the drug can be passed to the baby through breast milk. These potential complications can even increase depression.
Postpartum depression can be severe and sudden. It usually starts at the most inopportune time and you can't wait weeks and weeks for a typical antidepressant to start working.
Therefore, the infusion ketamine therapy may be an appropriate treatment for postpartum depression, avoiding some of the common problems associated with traditional antidepressants:
– Ketamine does not affect breastfeeding.
– Its effects are immediate and increase with subsequent infusions.
– There is no need to go to the hospital: infusions can be performed on an outpatient basis, which allows women to return to their children and normal life in a few hours.
Ketamine is a well-researched and safe drug. It is used daily in hospitals around the world at much higher doses than for infusions for depression. In the US, it has been successfully used as a treatment for new moms with postpartum depression since 2015.
In parallel with ketamine therapy, psychotherapy is needed to address the underlying causes of this mental disorder.