According to a recent study, 133 out of 457 pregnant candidates were diagnosed with a mental health illness. Pregnancy can be a stressful time in a woman’s life, with women having to deal with hormonal changes, mood swings, and unpleasant symptoms. These factors can lead to many women developing mental illnesses during pregnancy.
However, one can manage mental illnesses before they worsen by identifying indicators of mental health disorders during pregnancy and obtaining support from mental health service specialists. Let’s discuss a few common signs of mental illness during pregnancy.
4 Signs of Mental Illness during Pregnancy
Here are a few common signs of mental health illnesses in pregnant women, according to the professionals offering behavioral health services in Dallas, TX.
1. Feelings of Sadness and Frequent Crying Spells
Mood swings and depressive feelings are common throughout pregnancy. They are typically brought on by factors like physical strain, fatigue, shifts in metabolism, or fluctuations of hormones called progesterone and estrogen.
When a woman’s hormone levels fluctuate during pregnancy, they may impact the neurotransmitter levels in their body. Neurotransmitters refer to brain chemicals that are in charge of controlling our mood.
Therefore, mood swings are common during pregnancy and are usually not a cause of concern. However, if these mood swings and depressive feelings develop into regular crying fits, they can be signs of mental health conditions.
2. Low Self-Esteem
According to experts, women with low self-esteem issues before pregnancy may experience worsening self-esteem issues during pregnancy due to bodily changes associated with pregnancy.
Although minor low self-esteem concerns are common during pregnancy, if these issues worsen and result in situations where a woman refuses to leave her home due to poor self-esteem, this may indicate underlying mental conditions.
3. Difficulty Thinking or Concentrating
In severe anxiety or depression, overwhelming feelings may consume our minds and keep us from thinking straight or concentrating. If a pregnant woman frequently loses track of her thoughts or has difficulties concentrating on daily tasks or conversations, these factors may signal depression.
4. Being On Edge
Although mood swings and irritability are common during pregnancy, if a pregnant woman is constantly on edge and is highly irritable all the time, there is a possibility they might be suffering from anxiety or depression.
Depression may cause uncomfortable symptoms and overwhelming feelings of sadness, which can cause an individual to get irritable and have bottled-up feelings of anger.
Bottom Line
If we know the signs of mental illness during pregnancy, we can help the pregnant women around us seek help for their symptoms. If you are experiencing the symptoms discussed above or know someone with these symptoms during pregnancy, we recommend consulting the experts at Ziks for mental health services in Dallas.
Our experts conduct diagnostic evaluations for the clients to decide on a diagnosis and offer safe treatment options for pregnant women.
Get in touch with us now for more information.