The Essentials to Postpartum Depression Help
Guest post by Carla Nelson, RN
PMADs
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) can manifest in many ways and can occur anytime from conception through two years after delivery. Some women experience persistent feelings of intense sadness. Others experience fluctuating mood swings. Still others experience a tremendous anxiety. (If you want to know more about Baby Blues, Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety, click on each link for previous blog posts.)
Symptoms are often times first noticed by a close family member or friend. A strong support system is critical. For someone who has never experienced any of these symptoms, it can be very hard to image having them, much less dealing with them. For those that have them, they may not want to admit to having them because of the stigma that can often accompany them. These symptoms are real. They can be very debilitating. They are hard for not only the person experiencing them, but for that person’s family and friends.
Difficult experience
I have seen this first hand. It was one of the hardest things to witness. I saw a very outgoing, loving energetic woman go from loving and enjoying life, to wanting to take her own and the life of her children. Luckily she has a very close friend who recognized the symptoms and then had the courage to talk to her about them. Her friend had too experienced them after childbirth and was able to help her understand what she was feeling and then seek help. It was not an easy road. It was very hard to seek and find help. She did not have insurance and depended on state funding and Medicaid, which was very limiting in who she could seek medical attention from. It was a huge strain on her marriage and family…………..but she did it…………..and you can too! Her brother and his wife were able to take the youngest child and raise and support him for a year of his young life, while she and her family moved back in with her parents for additional support. I will not go into all of the details of their hardship, but want people to get an idea that they are not alone. These thoughts, feelings and actions are not what you want or what you control.
Her road entailed traditional treatment options, along with some alternative options. Due to her insurance, it was hard to find a provider who seemed to really care about her and her issues. She didn’t feel a connection with them, which led to suboptimal therapeutic discussions. She tried over 20 prescription medications. Often times the side effects were not tolerable or the medication would lose its effectiveness and she would have to try another. I went from seeing positive, outgoing, full of life posts on Facebook to no posts or to dark, angry, saddening posts. It broke my heart. As I met with her for lunch, I could tell it was really hard for her. She felt judged, overwhelmed. She wanted to have a “normal life” again, but couldn’t. She would have times where she felt great and was on a strong path, only to be dragged back down with feelings of anxiety, sadness, and hopelessness. At times she felt great, but then would run out of medications. Her physician would not renew them without an appointment, yet an appointment was 3 months out, which would just lead to symptoms again. It was taxing, frustrating and extremely overwhelming.
Essential Oils
I had recently started using essential oils to help manage emotions as my family and I were going through a very traumatic time. I knew the support they gave to us, so I reached out and offered my dear friend the option of trying essential oils to help her as well. She was skeptical. I didn’t blame her. When I was first introduced to essential oils I was skeptical too.. But I had already had a very positive experience with them and she could see the passion in me and the love that I had for her. Initially she did not respond to my offer. Since she lived out of state, I mailed them to her with instructions on how to use them. I asked her to try them twice a day for two weeks before she made any decisions on if she felt like they were helping. I didn’t hear from her, but I felt better for at least trying to help my friend. About a month later I was in her hometown and she reached out to me and asked if we could do dinner. I was thrilled, but had decided I was not going to talk about the oils unless she brought them up. Well about ten minutes after meeting, she brought them up. She felt a huge difference. She was blown away at how rubbing some oils on twice a day could make that much of a difference. She also kept one in her pocket and would use it throughout the day if she began having any anxiety. She made it very clear that she still didn’t believe and that she was still just trying them out. I just grinned. I didn’t blame or judge her. She had many past experiences of medications being very effective for up to six months and then stop working, leaving her to deal with the feelings again. I encouraged her to keep using them. Before I knew it, we were coming up with other oils to help with some other issues. Her mind had been opened. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I am happy to report that it has been 10 months, and she is using oils to help manage her symptoms. She is feeling great. Her interactions are like the friend I knew 20 years ago. She still has hard days, but she is able to manage them. She feels a huge difference. Her family sees and feels a huge difference. Many of her family members are also now using essential oils to help manage issues.
I am not recommending you stop medications. That has to be a very personal decision between you and your Physician. What am I saying are there are other options that YOU have control over. They have very few side effects. You don’t need a prescription for them. You don’t have to wait for an available appointment to get them renewed. YOU have total control. Consistent use is the key. Even though my dear friend now has her depression under control, she still uses her oils twice a day, every day! Essential oils are a great adjunct to your regime. They can be used in conjunction with your traditional medical treatment.
My favorite oils
Here are a couple of my favorite blends I make for depression and anxiety:
Rollerball #1 – Happy blend - 10ml Rollerball - $20- bergamot, grapefruit, clary sage, wild orange and frankincense
Rollberball#2 – Cheer Me Up – 10ml Rollerball - $14- whisper, elevation, tangerine, and lavender
Rollerball #3 – Mood Stabilizer – 10ml Rollerball - $13 Balance and Copaiba – (my two most favorite all time all oils)
You can roll them on your chest, your wrist, your neck, your feet – anywhere – just get them on!
Contact me, Carla Nelson, directly if interested at
303-718-1359 or cjnelson22@live.com
Below are links to information sheets on each oil
Whisper - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/whisper-oil
Elevation - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/elevation-oil
Tangerine - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/tangerine-oil
Lavender - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/lavender-oil
Copaiba - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/copaiba-oil
Balance - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/balance-grounding-blend-oil
Wild orange - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/wild-orange-oil
Grapefruit - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/grapefruit-oil
Frankincense - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/frankincense-oil
Clary Sage - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/clary-sage-oil
Bergamot - https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/bergamot-oil
Carla Nelson RN
doTERRA Wellness Advocate
303-718-1359
cjnelson22@live.com
Find me on Facebook : Essentially Yours - @Essentiallyyours22
www.mydoterra.com/carlanelson22
Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor. This information is what I have found in my personal research. You are responsible for what you decide to do with it. This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease. Please seek medical treatment when necessary.
