Postpartum Anxiety Treatment in Denver, Colorado
Now that your baby has arrived you may be feeling a mix of emotions. You may be overjoyed. You may feel down. You may feel anxious. Every new parent will experience a range of emotions, including at least some anxiety - it’s part of what makes us human. But postpartum anxiety is the experience of anxiety going haywire and interfering in life with your new baby.
Postpartum anxiety can show up in so many different ways.
With postpartum anxiety, you may experience symptoms like:
constantly worrying about your baby.
feeling panicked or on edge
feeling a sense of dread
feeling overwhelmed
difficulty sleeping (even when your baby is sleeping)
feeling irritable
For some, the experience of postpartum anxiety is surprising - maybe you’ve never experienced anxiety in a way that interferes in your life before. It may also come as no surprise at all if you’re someone who has experienced something like generalized anxiety prior to giving birth.
How does postpartum anxiety differ from postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety symptoms do have a lot of overlap - and many people experience both. If someone has postpartum depression, and not postpartum anxiety, they will experience more symptoms like persistent feelings of sadness, low mood, guilt, and hopelessness.
What types of treatment can be found in Denver that will help my postpartum anxiety?
Luckily, the Denver area has many resources for new parents looking for postpartum counseling to improve postpartum anxiety. One low-cost form of treatment, is to attend support groups. You’ll not only get the chance to have support surrounding your experiences, but you’ll also hear what other’s are going through, which can highlight that you’re not alone. Postpartum Support International is one organization that has many, many support groups. If you’re feeling like you don’t have time to attend a support group - don’t worry! Many are online. The Children’s Hospital of Colorado also offers the Mama’s Connect group.
Individual therapy with someone who has specialized training in the treatment of postpartum anxiety is also key to improving how you feel. In therapy, you can learn new coping strategies to manage your postpartum anxiety. These coping strategies should be tailored to you, based on the way your anxiety is showing up. Additionally, so much changes when you have a new baby. You have new routines and responsibilities and your relationships may shift and change as well. Therapy can help provide you with individualized support to help you adjust to these huge life changes. You can find individual therapy providers who specialize in perinatal mental health on Postpartum Support International’s directory, Psychology Today, and by asking your OB/GYN.
Medication treatment is also an option that many people find beneficial. As with other forms of treatment, it can be particularly helpful to work with a psychiatry provider that has specialized training in perinatal/reproductive mental health. These providers will be well versed about what medications are safe to take if you’re thinking about becoming pregnant again or if you’re breast feeding. The Denver area has several reproductive psychiatrists that can be found through Postpartum Support International’s directory.
In addition to these therapeutic suggestions, postpartum anxiety can improve when you reach out to loved ones for support. We often avoid asking for support - it’s hard to do, and society often teaches women that we need to be strong and always be in the ‘caregiver’ roll. If ever there is a time in life to receive from others instead - the postpartum period is it! If you struggle with this, talking to your individual therapist can be helpful.
Last thoughts on postpartum anxiety treatment in Denver
You are not alone. You are also not your postpartum anxiety. There are so many ways to be supported and to learn strategies to cope with postpartum anxiety. Try to find one (or several) that feels right for you!
If you’re in Colorado or Illinois and you’d like to get started with individual therapy for postpartum anxiety, you can contact me, Dr. Liz Culnan, at Mindful Health Psychology.
About Dr. Liz Culnan | Denver, CO & Chicago, IL
Dr. Liz Culnan is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized training in the areas of perinatal/reproductive mental health and behavioral sleep medicine. She is passionate about supporting women through reproductive and life transitions. Learn more here.
Other services offered at Mindful Health Psychology:
Mindful Health Psychology is a practice offering online therapy for Denver, CO, Chicago, IL and beyond in the states of Colorado and Illinois. We specialize in therapy for anxiety, depression, depression and anxiety during pregnancy, postpartum anxiety and depression, coping with miscarriage and pregnancy loss, PMDD, coping with fertility-related stressors, birth trauma, coping with a chronic medical condition, insomnia, nightmares, circadian rhythm disorders, and hypersomnia disorders. We provide online therapy, making treatment more accessible, which means you can be located in Denver, Chicago, or another city in Colorado or Illinois to receive services.