There are other types of mental illness that can cause a pregnant or postpartum mother to feel as if there is something wrong. This information can help in understanding what may be causing these problems.

Anxiety Disorders
There are five types of anxiety disorders: Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. What connects each of them is that people with these disorders:

• Have anxiety that interferes with life and work
• Feel extreme tension and worry when there is no logical reason for these feelings
• Sometimes go to extremes to avoid situations that produce feelings of extreme anxiety
  
  

Panic Disorder is characterized by panic attacks or sudden feelings of terror that strike repeatedly and without warning. Physical symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal discomfort, feelings of unreality and fear of dying.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves repeated, intrusive and unwanted thoughts and/or rituals that seem impossible to control.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by persistent symptoms that occur after experiencing a traumatic event such as war, rape, child abuse, natural disasters or being taken hostage. Nightmares, flashbacks, numbing of emotions, depression, feeling angry, irritable, distracted and being easily startled are common.

Social Phobia is an extreme, disabling and irrational fear of something that really poses little or no actual danger. The fear leads to avoidance of objects or situations and can cause people to limit their lives.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves chronic, exaggerated worry about everyday life events and activities, lasting at least six months. People with GAD almost always anticipate the worst even though there is little reason to expect it. It is accompanied by physical symptoms, such as fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headache or nausea.

Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is an illness involving one or more episodes of serious mania and depression. The illness causes a person’s mood to swing from excessively “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, with periods of a normal mood in between.

The symptoms of mania, which can last up to three months if untreated, include:

• Excessive energy, activity, restlessness, racing thoughts and rapid talking
• Denial that anything is wrong
• Extreme “high” or euphoric feelings
• Easily irritated or distracted
• Decreased need for sleep
• Unrealistic beliefs in one’s ability and powers
• Uncharacteristically poor judgment
• Sustained period of behavior that is different than usual
• Unusual sexual drive
• Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol or sleeping medications
• Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
  
  

Some people experience periods of normal mood and behavior following a manic phase, however, the depressive phase will eventually appear. Symptoms of depression include:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
• Sleeping too much or too little, middle-of-the-night or early morning waking
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
• Irritability or restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Persistent physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)
• Thoughts of death or suicide, including suicide attempts
• Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
  

For more information, call the Mental Health Association of Maryland,

800-572-6426 or go to www.mhamd.org.