BRISTOL HYPNOTHERAPY CLINIC
Advanced / Specialist Courses
Post Natal Depression
Post natal depression occurs in 10 - 15% of women within a year of giving birth and
have a one in five increase of being depressed after the next birth. Some females
usually within 4 days of giving birth will feel ‘down’ and maybe tearful for a few
days which is ‘normal’. However, some women continue to be unhappy, emotional, anxious
about her baby, feelings of the inability to cope, feeling inadequate and may even
feel guilty, perceiving herself to be a poor mother. Insomnia or waking during the
night if there is no need, causes tiredness and lethargy through the daytime. Negative
and poorly perceived thoughts create an increased depressive period that continues,
for months and sometimes even for a year or more. Brief clinical hypnotherapy via
a cognitive approach allows the depressed female to think and feel differently, looking
forward to her joys of family life and living.
Reporting in the American Journal of Psychiatry 2002, the researchers found that
exposure to SSRIs during pregnancy was associated with a twofold increase in premature
delivery and consequent lower birth weight. Furthermore, SSRI exposure during the
last three months of pregnancy was associated with lower scores on physical health
of a newborn infant.
Bristol Hypnotherapy Clinic in residence at the
Greenway Community Practice, Greystoke Ave, Southmead, Bristol BS10 6AF
Tel: 0117-968-6886, Mobile: 07811-373703,
International 44117-968-6886 USA Cell phone 248.252.7301
Ante Natal Depression
Brief therapy to reduce and control depression prior to labour is important, especially
for those that were depressed before becoming pregnant (see footnote). True ante
natal depression is when the woman becomes depressed during pregnancy. The causes
are wide and varied, unplanned pregnancy, unstable relationship, job insecurity,
less income, hopelessness, helplessness, feeling inadequate, just to name a few.
Those who have been taking anti-depressant medication, and due to pregnancy can no
longer take medication, may then develop further bouts, or increase of depression.
By providing better coping skills and mechanisms, allows the woman to be more in
control of the situation and life in general. Therapy at this stage significantly
reduces the chances of post natal or post partum depression. That is why the focus
on ante natal depression is so important.
Utilising three sessions of hypnosis for childbirth further increases their coping
skills.
Primary & Secondary Tokophobia
Primary tokophobia is a fear of death in childbirth, disgust / dread of the process,
and goes to great lengths NOT to become pregnant. Often sufferers will show poor
perceptions and distortions of pregnancy and childbirth. This can come from their
younger days when other’s (mother) passed incorrect or bad experiences onto them,
or the woman has experienced other trauma in the past.
Secondary tokophobia is due to a previous experience of traumatic birth, poor obstetric
practice or medical attention, previous post natal depression, and many other gross
concerns and anxieties. Poor expectations of their behaviour during labour, feeling
‘out of control’, revivification of distressing memories perhaps months later, can
cause further psychological concerns.
Post traumatic distress disorder cannot be ruled out from their previous birthing
experience/s, because females with secondary tokophobia may have suffered physically
and psychologically, and are preparing for the same thing to happen again. Of course
not all women experience these problems, however, some females are more vulnerable
than others, with different levels of pain threshold and emotional tolerances, everyone
is different.
Both these quite different problems can be resolved, and the outcome is a positive
one should the women obtain assistance from an experienced clinician.
