What Is Postnatal Depression and How Can Counselling Help to Alleviate It ?

While the arrival of a baby is regarded as a joyful occasion, sometimes it can peculiarly trigger bouts of depression and gloominess in the mother. Although it is quite rare, one in every seven women can suffer from postnatal depression. The most common symptoms include feelings of guilt and anxiety, which are often accompanied by chronic insomnia and loss of appetite. Some mothers may even feel emotionally drained and inefficient.

Postnatal depression can set in at any time, even after the baby is days, weeks or months old. It is significantly distinct from antenatal depression or the “baby blues”, which affects about 10 percent of expectant mothers and occurs mainly because of hormonal changes taking place during pregnancy. In Australia, physicians and psychologists are of the opinion that one in every 16 new mothers suffer from postnatal depression. These women may feel unprepared to meet with the demands of their newly achieved motherhood, and the expectations of people around them. At times, even a feeling of lost identity can prevail and make the sufferer seem unconnected with the world. Some women even tend to withdraw themselves from their loved ones, including their spouse and child. This can further worsen the situation by souring the relationship between couples, and increase emotional tension amidst already tough circumstances.

Although no conspicuous influencing factor has been found so far, many experts believe that postnatal depression may result due to the hormonal changes which take place during pregnancy as well as childbirth. Moreover, the duties that are thrusted onto a woman when she enters motherhood can also be responsible. According to latest research and studies, it has been found that women going through unexpected pregnancies are more likely to suffer from postnatal depression.

If a woman is suffering from postnatal depression, there are several ways by which she can be treated effectively. The most popular treatment methods are support counselling and talking therapies. Both of them can be very helpful in cases of mild to severe postnatal depression. Such treatments usually make use of many different techniques for identifying and managing the associated negative thoughts, behaviours and feelings. This is done by allowing the patient to share her personal experiences that may help her to feel understood and supported.

Jade Couquax is a reputed French psychologist practising in Bondi Beach. She uses her expertise in the fields of counselling, mental health & women’s health for treating a wide range of psychological disorders. If you are suffering from postnatal depression, book an appointment with Jade today.

Counselling Helped Me to Chase Away Hopelessness

After starting my fourth year in high school, I often use to have a feeling of something being amiss. But it was not until several weeks that I became quite cognizant of what was actually going on. I started becoming extremely fatigued during the day, and shunned away from society as often as possible. It was so hard to control the expression that my lachrymose face revealed in front of people.

Although I really missed my amazing friends and the school during vacations, I could not fathom the reason why all of this faded away when I went back. I told my parents about the unusual mental problems I had been experiencing and they tried desperately to help. But all their efforts were simply in vain. Even my friends were perplexed and saddened by the strange behaviour I was exhibiting.

It was not that I disliked my studies or hated my students or teachers. Neither could I comprehend nor explain to others what the actual problem was. I was lost and desperately trying to get rid of the feeling of hopelessness gripping onto me day by day. When the first term began to slip away from my hand and my teachers called in my parents to report about my poor performance in the class tests, I decided to help myself by seeking the help of a counsellor.

One of my aunts told me about Jade Couquax, a French psychologist in Bondi who was renowned for her exceptional counselling skills. I wasted no time and immediately booked an appointment with her. During my first visit, she contracted me for 5 sessions. But soon after we started to discuss about my persistent psychological problems, she realised that my treatment would require more follow-ups. There was something very relaxing in the way she interrogated me, and I did not feel any kind of intimidation while confronting and answering her questions.

As time passed by, I started feeling more and more confident about myself. The conversations I had with Jade helped me to relax and have better thoughts. My condition kept improving significantly and I was able to concentrate on my studies better. I no longer felt the need to run away from people and my parents and friends were more than happy with my positive change. I still remember my last session with Jade, how she made me feel like she would always be there to help me. She said her doors would remain open for me, if my demons tried to come back ever again.

Guest Author: I, Katherine Saavedra, 18, am presently studying in the fifth year of high school. I love reading books, listening to music, playing guitar and watching movies.

Facts About Depression In Women

The rate of depression in women is more than men. When women feel depressed they generally use friends, food and love to self-medicate. To know more about depression in women, have a look at this slideshare. 

Psychologist - counselling in bondi from Counselling Bondi

Low Self-Esteem and Counselling

Self-esteem may be defined as the way a person feels and thinks about himself or herself, which can be positive or negative, or even a combination of both. It plays an important role in deciding the way one lives their life, the choices they make and the perspective with which they view others. In today’s world, people have become used to comparing themselves with others. This gives rise to insecurities, feelings of negativity about oneself, dissatisfaction and depression.

There are a number of symptoms which can indicate low self-esteem in an individual. Some of the most common ones are as follows:

• feeling unworthy
• not being able to recognise one’s own abilities and competency
• feeling deprived of love
• contemplating over negative thoughts and fear
• feeling impractical about goals
• getting pulled into devastating relations
• fearing change
• holding distorted views about oneself as well as others

The esteem in every individual initiates right from birth and develops slowly over time. Strong bonds and positive experiences nourish it, whereas troubled relations and bad experiences obstruct its development. When children feel that they are understood and valued and their worries can be chased away, they start to realise their own value and regard the world as a safe place. In time, they become capable enough to recognise stressful situations and negative relations and use their instincts for protecting themselves. They learn to handle tough times without getting damaged and be careful so as to avoid encountering too many problems in life. Negative experiences, on the other hand, can significantly decrease self-esteem in those people who are not strong enough to hold themselves up against difficulties. They may even become fearful or unrealistic about risks and goals, which may further hamper their self-image. However, providing them with some external source of strength such as counselling can help them greatly to change for the better.

Consulting a counsellor who is supportive can help a person with low self-esteem to take a tough look at himself or herself, and feel strong enough to alter things that give rise to negative thoughts and feelings. There are several ways by which counselling can improve low self-esteem. Transactional analysis and cognitive behavioural therapy can help to check negative self-beliefs, pessimistic assumptions and faulty thoughts, especially those things that can make the patient feel trapped all the time.

Jade Couquaux is a renowned French psychologist practising in Bondi. Book an appointment with her today to get rid of problems associated with low self-esteem.