Postpartum Psychosis Essay
explanatory Essay
835 words
Maya Phillip had just finished her maternity leave when she was diagnosed with severe postpartum psychosis. Her husband of two years was abroad on a military mission and was keeping little touch with his Maya. However, fearing for her and her infant’s safety, Maya’s sister in-law came to her rescue. After two months in the local community hospital she was discharged, only to find that she had lost her job. The employer cited her mental condition and prolonged absence as the reason the dismissal. She decided to enlist the services of an attorney to get her employment benefits if not reinstatement to her job. However, since finishing her follow-up checkups, Dominic Ezeli, her doctor at the community hospital, says he has not heard from her. Just …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how maya phillip was diagnosed with severe postpartum psychosis and her husband was abroad on a military mission. she was discharged after two months and lost her job.
- Explains that the employer cited her mental condition and prolonged absence as the reason for her dismissal. she decided to enlist the services of an attorney to get employment benefits if not reinstatement to her job.
- Explains that postpartum psychosis affects 1 to 2 in every 1,000 deliveries, and 90 percent of people in developing countries need treatment for mental health disorders.
- Explains the early signs of postpartum psychosis, such as feeling irritated, hyperactive, and delusion or strange beliefs, hallucinations, paranoia, suspicious, unable to sleep and rapid mood swings.
- Explains that postpartum psychosis has a four percent chance of infanticide and five percent rate of suicide. the hallucinations feel real to the sufferer and instant treatment is of the essence.
- Explains that postpartum psychosis is treatable with professional help since it is a temporary illness.
- Opines that early detection is the key to thorough intervention and prevention of the mental illness. if the symptoms last for a whole year, the person may be at the verge of developing severe psychosis.
- Explains that people who are at risk of developing postpartum psychosis include close relatives, especially those who have had other disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
- Opines that the illness is treatable using medication, such as mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. however, these medications should be used cautiously, especially if the individual is breastfeeding.
- Opines that it is crucial for mothers who are planning another pregnancy to discuss with their specialist psychiatrist and review medication. electroconvulsive therapy is effective administered in a hospital setting.
- Explains that health professionals monitor and assess the condition of the new mother with the help of psychological therapies.
- Explains that the experience of mental illness is characterized by stigma, especially if the person has to be admitted in a psychiatric unit.
- Explains the stigma associated with postpartum psychosis affects women from all walks of life. it eats on a person’s self-confidence and makes them scared of socializing with their former colleagues.
- Recommends joining support groups where an individual can meet other people who have battled the illness. support groups also function as group therapy outlets where a person can improve their self-confidence.
- Opines that postpartum psychosis is easy to cure and new mothers should not be worried once diagnosed. support groups are essential to the healing process.
Further, the sufferer experiences frequent hallucinations, becomes paranoid, and suspicious. In other cases, the individual becomes unable to sleep and has difficulties communicating coupled with rapid mood swings. The fierce part about the disorder is that women who develop postpartum psychosis have a four percent chance of committing infanticide and a five percent rate of committing suicide. The reason can be explained as a break from reality. The hallucinations feel very real to the sufferer and as such instant treatment is of the essence. People may notice that the person is withdrawing socially, acting in weird manner, they become quieter, and begin struggling at their daily chores. Consequently, there are dangers that the person suffering from this type of psychosis may be at risk due to the irrational judgments thy go through. However, the good news is that postpartum psychosis is treatable with professional help since it is a temporary …show more content…
Others include the relatives who have displayed decreased daily functioning over a period of a year. The illness is treatable using medication, for example, mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. However, these medications should be used cautiously, especially if the individual is breastfeeding. Additionally, for the patients taking antipsychotics, to reduce the risks of adding weight, one should engage in physical activity and healthy eating. It is crucial for those mothers who are planning another pregnancy to discuss with their specialist psychiatrist and review medication. Other treatment measures include electroconvulsive therapy, which is effectively administered in a hospital setting. The health professionals are able to monitor and assess the condition of the new mother with the help of psychological therapies. Psychological therapies are important in providing effective coping measures to an individual. However, in other clinical settings, patients undergo mother-infant therapies for counseling and support
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- Overview of Postpartum Depressionopinion essayThe risk for PPD increases if there is a family history of depression, a weak support system, financial issues, unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, and/or an experience of stressful events within the past year. Research suggests that 10%-15% of women suffer from PPD during their first postpartum year. This condition negatively affects maternal and fetal well-bei...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that patient j.p. was chosen for the purpose of a postpartum depression teaching project. ppd is moderate to severe depression that may occur shortly after delivery or up to one year after.
- Explains that a combination of physical, emotional, and lifestyle factors contribute to ppd. a sudden drop in hormones after childbirth can leave the patient feeling fatigued and sluggish.
- Opines that it is crucial to educate patients about ppd and what can be done to reduce and/or prevent their depressive symptoms.
- Explains that postpartum psychosis can develop within the first two weeks after delivery. symptoms include hallucinations, paranoia, confusion/disorientation, and attempts of harming themselves and/or their baby.
- Recommends scheduling an appointment with the patient's doctor if they feel they may be suffering from ppd, and asking for help from their present support system.
- Recommends counseling and antidepressants for patients with ppd. coping skills, goal setting, and solving problems are discussed through counseling, but if the patient is breastfeeding, they must understand that medications can enter the breast milk.
- Opines that it is important to address the possibility of postpartum depression with both caregivers regardless of gender.
- Opines that it is important to educate the patient early on and remind them that they are not alone.
647 wordsRead More - Essay On Postpartum Depressionexplanatory essayPostpartum depression affects 8-15% of mothers within a few days or weeks after giving birth. Some mothers experience a mild form of this disorder, while others experience a more rare and intense version. This intensified postpartum depression is known as postpartum psychosis. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, Nau, McNiel, and Binder (2012) express “Postpartum psychosis occurs in 1-2 of 1,000 births and frequently requires hospitalization to stabilize symptoms.” These symptoms include: Hallucinations, restlessness, disturbed sleep, insomnia, drastic mood or behavior change, delusional thinking, thoughts of suicide or death, and extreme depression. In The Journal of Women's Health, Sit, Rothschild, and Wisner described postpartum psychosis as “an overt presentation of bipolar disorder that is timed to coincide with tremendous hormonal shifts after delivery”. Approximately 72%-88% of mothers who experience postpartum psychosis (PP) have bipolar illness, schizo-affective disorder or a family history of either which is why PP is classified as a psychotic disorder by the APAA.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that postpartum depression affects 8-15% of mothers within a few days or weeks after giving birth.
- Explains that postpartum psychosis is dangerous for both mother and child as it has a 5% suicide rate and 4% infanticide rate.
- Explains that the m'naghten rule is used to test for criminal insanity. the defendant did not know the nature of the act he/she was carrying out or knew what they were doing.
- Describes how andrea yates killed her 5 children by drowning them in the bathtub on june 20, 2001. she confessed to the murders and was taken into custody.
- Opines that the jury found yates guilty of postpartum psychosis, stating that there are no clear standards in court for dealing with mentally ill mothers.
- Explains that postpartum psychosis is treatable, but there are no guidelines for treatment at this time. most patients have been treated using pharmaceuticals and psychotherapy.
632 wordsRead More - Postpartum Depressioncomparative essayThe post-partum period is a vulnerable time where women are at an increased risk of mood disorders, as stated above it is a mood disorder that develops following the birth of a child (RNAO). PPD is a condition that occupies the middle ground between the common baby blues and post-partum psychosis (Harvard2011). A new mother affected by the baby blues will have an onset of feelings such as sadness, anxiety and irritability generally peaking by the fifth day post-partum and subsides gradually within two days following; post-partum psychosis is an uncommon condition affecting one to two out of every 1000 post-partum women, it is a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention, the extent of the symptoms can vary from a fluctuating mood state to delusions, and hallucinations. (Harvard2011). These episodes can occur as early as 48 hours after delivery, the majority of the episodes occur within the first two weeks post-partum (RNAO).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that post-partum depression is characterized as a depressive mood disorder occurring within the period after birth. research has shown that women are significantly more likely to be admitted into psychiatric care facilities within four weeks.
- Explains that the post-partum period is a vulnerable time where women are at an increased risk of mood disorders.
- Explains that the american psychiatric association's diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (dsm-iv) currently does not separate ppd from affective or mood disorders, and has been extended to a depressive onset within the first year post-partum.
- Explains the nurse's role when working with post-partum moms and dads is separated into three categories: prevention, recognition, and treatment.
- Recommends administering the epds scale as well as providing individualized, flexible care post-partum; a nurse can meet this standard by implementing home visits as extensive as necessary, gathering objective and subjective information pertaining to adaptation, self confidence, parenting self esteem, and community resources.
- Explains that the epds scale is a widely recommended tool for evaluating the presence of depressive symptoms in new parents.
722 wordsRead More - Postpartum Psychosisexplanatory essayAs we all know, the baby blues are what happens just a few days after giving birth. But when they persist for over a week, thats when one should consult with their doctor. Psychotherapist Karen Kleiman, founder and head of The Postpartum Stress Center in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, states that “ Full blown postpartum depression is more serious and persistent. The symptoms include feelings of guilt, fear, loneliness, helplessness, failure; crying jags; insomnia; loss of appetite; withdrawing from friends and family. Some women have panic attacks or suicidal thoughts, or both”. She then goes on to tell the difference from depression to psychosis: “Psychosis, suffered by an estimated 1 in 1,000 new mothers, is more mysterious. The woman may have periods when she acts -- and even feels -- calm and clear-thinking, but then suddenly becomes delusi...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many people attribute ppd to a hormonal decline, but there are several other factors that may influence this condition in women.
- Explains that mothers with postpartum psychosis do not have control of their emotions, making them harmful to themselves and others.
- Explains that psychosis hits 1 in 1,000 new moms, study says.
- Cites sharma, burt, and ritchie's reply to the american journal of psychiatry.
- Explains that postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis are different to each new mother and can be differentiated by the extent and symptoms of the condition.
- Explains that bipolar depression is often misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder during the postpartum period.
1078 wordsRead More - Psychosis And Mental Disorderexplanatory essayPsychosis is a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotion are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. With any psychosis disorder, the person’s inner world and behavior have notably changed. Psychosis is diagnosed through a psychiatric evaluation. That means a doctor will watch a persons behavior and ask questions about what he or she is experiencing. Doctors may use medical tests and x-rays to determine whether there is an underlying illness causing the symptoms. People have suffered from psychosis for many years, it wasn’t until the mid 1900’s that people began to become interested in psychosis diagnosis, treatments and symptoms.
In this essay, the author
- Explains schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder characterized by disordered thinking and behavior, symptoms often include delusions and hallucinations.
- Explains schizophrenia's mood symptoms are similar to schizophrenia, but sometimes psychotic symptoms occur in the absence of mood symptoms.
- Explains that delusions are false enough to cause problems with day-to-day life.
- Explains that substance-induced psychosis is caused by drug and alcohol use or withdrawal. symptoms may disappear once the affects of the substances/ withdrawal symptoms wear off.
- Explains that dementia causes psychotic symptoms with memory disturbances in conditions that cause psychological deterioration of the brain, such as head injury, aids, post-encephalitis, alzheimer disease or a brain tumor.
- Explains that psychosis appears as part of a more general severe mood disturbance. psychotic symptoms tend to match your mood.
- Explains that depression is part of an acute confessional state that result from another severe medical disorder, such as meningitis, septicemia or after an epileptic convulsion.
- Explains that a psychotic episode is characterized by severe but short-lived psychosis that lasts between one day and one month.
- Explains that psychosis is a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotion are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.
- Explains that psychosis is a general medical condition caused by brain tumors, epilepsy, and other chronic medical conditions.
1958 wordsRead More - Postpartum Depression Essayexplanatory essaythey wonder why the are not overcome with joy of this new born. Many mothers who have PPD
In this essay, the author
- Explains that it is difficult to properly diagnose ppd in mothers because the signs are very similar to any other.
- Opines that with the help of researchers and psychologists we can look into it more.
- Explains that mothers feel detached from their child and significant other and don't want to be around them.
- Explains that ppd can occur within four weeks after giving birth and it can happen later in the same year. men were also a target to get this depression if they had significant others who would be expected mothers.
- Explains that mothers were often expected to be happy and nurturing and forgetting that they were actual people first with human emotions put on the back burner.
- Explains that endocrine is the main hormone that is found during ppd, which determined an ailment that needed to be treated.
- Explains that anger can be more prevalent in stay-at-home mothers who have significant others who work a lot or mothers that were abandoned in relationships.
- Explains that infant crying and sleeping problems may increase the risk of new onset ppd but may also be reported more frequently.
- Explains that mothers feel guilty and ashamed for feeling unhappiness as well as blame her husband. they don't want to be labeled an unfit mother.
- Explains that low-income mothers can be a big target because of the lack of support that is provided for them.
- Opines that social isolation is due to the guilt of a new mother. many women feel elated, competent, and even calm.
- Opines that many women avoid being around friends and family because they do not want to be judged if they don't show that they are ecstatic of their new baby.
711 wordsRead More - Schizophrenia Essayopinion essayThere are people in this world that have a problem understanding the difference between what is real and what is unreal. Most of us think that is just silly and childlike, but it is a reality for about 51 million Americans (Coon). These people suffer from schizophrenia, a psychosis characterized by delusions, hallucinations, apathy, and a “split” between thought and emotion (Coon). Schizophrenic suffers my show inappropriate emotions to certain situations. They laugh at the death of a loved one, or show no emotion also known as flat affect to news of happiness. To an onlooker they may appear to be crazy, rude or even mentally disturbed. Unfortunately schizophrenic suffers have to deal with these judgments, when they don’t understand why they are getting these reactions. Schizophrenia comes in more than one form. There is disorganized schizophrenia, Catatonic schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia and undifferentiated schizophrenia.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that 51 million americans suffer from schizophrenia, which is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, apathy, and "split" between thought and emotion. schizophrenic sufferers show inappropriate emotions to certain situations.
- Explains that paranoid schizophrenia is marked by delusions or frequent auditory hallucinations related to a single theme. they claim to hear voices that are not real and only heard by them.
- Explains that catatonic schizophrenia is marked by stupor, rigidity, unresponsiveness, posturing, mutism, and, sometimes agitated, purposeless behavior.
- Compares disorganized schizophrenia with paranoid schizophrenia, which is marked by incoherence, bizarre thinking, and flat or grossly inappropriate emotions. hebephrenic schizophrenia creates difficulties of living a normal life.
- Explains that undifferentiated schizophrenia is a combination of all three types of schizophrenia. it is the most common form because most schizophrenics experience multiple symptoms associated with different forms.
- Explains the two main causes of schizophrenia are inherited genes and chemical imbalance in the brain.
- Opines that there are multiple treatment options available for schizophrenia. antipsychotics are the classification of medication used to treat schizophrenia, while psychotherapy is more specifically cognitive behavioral therapy.
1069 wordsRead More - Post Partum Depressionanalytical essayIt is a doctors job to inform pregnant women of the changes their bodies will go through in the stages of pregnancy; changes such as tearfulness, irritability, hypochondriasis, sleeplessness, impairment of concentration, isolation and headache. (Andrea Yates) Women are given time off work and are instructed to do minimal physical activities, they do this in the US so that the woman’s body may recover. Recovery takes a long time and there is an 80% chance that post pregnant woman will become diagnosed with depression, which is when a person feels sad or down for a long period of time. But are these women getting all the help they need to recover psychologically from such changes?
In this essay, the author
- Argues that postpartum depression should be taken more seriously in our society for it is having heavy effects on mothers like dena schlosser.
- Explains that postpartum depression can have long-term effects on the mother, her family, and even her own health.
- Analyzes how schlosser was unable to grasp the wrongfulness of the crime, the texas standard for insanity, or whether she knew exactly what she was doing.
- Explains that postpartum depression affects women who have thoughts of hurting themselves or the people around them, including their children. it usually starts when a newborn is brought into the world.
- Opines that many americans don't treat depression as a serious illness or disease. they medicate with medications like zoloft and paxil, which when taken off can lead people to have withdrawal affects of aggression and irritability.
- Explains that it is a doctors job to inform pregnant women of the changes their bodies will go through in the stages of pregnancy.
- Analyzes how andrea yates was on trial for capital murder for drowning her five children. she was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
998 wordsRead More - Mental Disorders: Schizophreniaexplanatory essaySchizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that causes psychosis; which means a break with reality (Hewstone, Fincham and Foster 2005: 320). The onset of the disorder is usually in the person’s late teens. Early signs are that they may become more self-absorbed and display inappropriate behaviour. One of the main symptoms is that the person’s thinking becomes disordered as though their brain is unable to make sense of input from the environment and unable to focus only on relevant information. Changes in the person’s perception causes hallucinations, which can involve any of the senses and cause the person to struggle to differentiate between real external events and internally produced hallucinations. The person loses their ability to function in the real world and becomes withdrawn (Nolen-Hoeksema et al 2009: 558 -561).
In this essay, the author
- Describes two theories which explain the occurrence of schizophrenia and will explain how these theories relate to the environment and to genetics.
- Explains schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that causes psychosis, which means break with reality. the onset of the disorder is usually in the late teens.
- Explains that schizophrenia is genetic in origin and there is strong evidence that this is the case. in identical twins, a person's chance of developing schizophrenia increases when they are closely related to someone with schizophrenia.
- Explains that children who had a parent with schizophrenia but were adopted and grew up in different families had higher risk of developing the condition themselves. this suggests that it is inherited genetic differences that cause schizophrenia and not the environmental influence
- Explains that adopted children with an inherited susceptibility to schizophrenia are at higher risk of developing the condition if there are high levels of stress and dysfunction in the adoptive home.
- Explains that canon et al, found that siblings of individuals with schizophrenia also have similar neurological functioning even if they do not have the condition themselves. this suggests that there is a genetic element to the disease.
- Explains that there are biological differences in the structure and chemistry of the brains of schizophrenics compared to those without schizophrenia.
- Opines that the cause of schizophrenia is largely down to genetic influence but that this is not conclusive.
- Explains that the occurrence of schizophrenia is caused by environmental factors such as damage to the developing foetus or early life.
- Explains that genetics alone cannot explain the occurrence of schizophrenia, as although identical twins are highly likely to both develop the condition, this is not always the case.
- States that there is no evidence that psychosocial factors cause schizophrenia, but environmental social factors can have an effect on how and when the disease develops and the chances of the person having a relapse.
- Explains that the family's attitude and behaviour can have a strong influence on the progression of schizophrenia. an unsupportive family could trigger new episodes of psychosis.
- Explains that people living in less developed countries like india or nigeria are more likely to recover from schizophrenia than those who live in more developed modern western societies.
- Explains that schizophrenia is linked to social inequality and it has been found that urban neighbourhoods with high deprivation, high population density, and high inequalities have higher rates of schizophrenia.
- Explains that gluten intolerance causes coeliac disease, which causes the body's immune system to attack healthy tissue. kalaydjian et al report that removing gluten from the diets of some patients with schizophrenia can improve their symptoms.
- Explains that cannabis smoking can greatly increase the chances of the disease developing, especially if used regularly in the teenage years. stress, physical or sexual abuse and deprivation in childhood also increases the risk.
- Concludes that the interaction between genetics and the environment gives the best explanation of the cause of schizophrenia.
- Explains that neuropsychological functioning in siblings discordant for schizophrenic and healthy volunteers.
- Explains the association between schizophrenia and celiac.
- Explains that nhs choices (2012) coeliac disease [online] available from http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coelia-disease/pages/introduction.aspx>.
- Explains the meta-analysis of the association of urbanicity with schizophrenia.
1356 wordsRead More - Andrea Yates And Post-Partum Depressionexplanatory essayAfter having a baby, any woman is susceptible to post-partum depression. Andrea Yates ended up with Post-Partum Psychosis. She claimed to have visions of knives after some of her children were born. Her family had history of mental illness. Her illness was so bad that she was not only having visions but in her own testimony stated that her and her children were watching cartoons one day and the program stopped just so the cartoon characters could tell her children to stop eating so much candy, and then resume broadcasting. She was not fully connected with reality that she didn’t understand her actions were that of wrong doing. She had reoccurring hallucinations, multiple stays in the mental institutions, two suicidal attempts, and severe depression.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how andrea yates ended up with post-partum psychosis after having reoccurring hallucinations, multiple stays in the mental institutions, and severe depression.
- Explains that andrea yates' family had a history of mental illness and sought professional help. she married russell and had 5 children. after her first son was born, she attempted suicide by overdosing on trazadone.
- Explains that insanity is mental illness of such a severe nature that one cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot manage his/her own affairs, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.
- Opines that andrea should have received the guilty sentence for several reasons, not only because she planned it out and had several visions of killing someone but she called the police on herself.
- Opines that andrea should remain in the hospital until she is in her 70s if she was mentally incapable of understanding what she did was wrong.
1576 wordsRead More