Psychosis is medically defined as “a state in which a person’s mental capacity to recognize reality, communicate, and relate to others is impaired, thus interfering with the capacity to deal with life demands.” Postpartum is the time after child birth; therefore, a postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency of psychotic episodes that occurs during the postpartum period. This is not to be confused with postpartum depression, which is a clinical depression that occurs after child birth. Postpartum psychosis is rare as it occurs in approximately one or two women for every one thousand deliveries. According to Postpartum Support International’s website, the episodes are sudden and begin within the first two weeks after child birth. Postpartum psychosis is …show more content…
The depression usually begins two weeks to a month after delivery. Postpartum depression can last a couple of months or even a full year. Women who have suffered miscarriages are most vulnerable to falling ill to postpartum depression. The cause of these depressive episodes is not yet known. However, it has been hypothesized that potential causes may be hormonal changes, genetics, and adjusting to parenthood. The symptoms for postpartum depression include loss of interest, weight loss with decreased appetites, loss of energy, feelings of sadness, low self esteem, and recurrent thoughts of death which can or can not come with thoughts of suicide. Like depression, postpartum depression can be treated with medication or psychological help. Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Mental Health, estimate that approximately fifteen percent of women will experience postpartum depression following childbirth. There are many differential diagnoses that postpartum depression can be mistaken for. One of them is commonly mistaken for depression but it is much more severe, postpartum