Postnatal PTSD
Georgia contacted me after reaching a very low point with persistent symptoms which were not improving with anti-depressants. In conversation, it became clear that Georgia was experiencing classic signs of postnatal PTSD.
Childbirth is a highly charged emotional event which can positively exceed our expectations when all is going well or have a very damaging, negative impact when our experiences are shockingly wide of the mark.
Georgia had planned a hospital birth however, the domino effect of feeling stressed and anxious early on in labour caused an unfortunate run of events further on and an assisted delivery. Georgia felt overwhelmed and out of control during the experience and eighteen months on, she was still experiencing many symptoms of birth trauma.
Childbirth is a subjective experience and largely measured on the expectations and beliefs we hold prior to birthing our babies. Birthing a baby is a remarkable achievement no matter how natural it is intended to be and women can feel exceptionally vulnerable during this time. Surrendering to the physical demands and sensations of labour can be overwhelming, not to mention the emotions that are racing in an anxious mind when medical intervention is necessitated.
I worked with Georgia over a five day condensed period to clear her symptoms, a total of ten two hour sessions. Georgia wanted to work at a comfortable pace and have some recuperation time to process her emotions away from the demands of family life with her toddler.
Georgia’s symptoms included sleep disturbances and nightmares, flashbacks, extreme anxiety and panic attacks. She described being easily startled, hyper vigilant, avoiding potential triggers at all costs to minimise the reoccurrence of uncomfortable memories. She felt persistently irritable in company and yet very isolated and alone at the same time.
Before working together, Georgia sent me an account of her birth experience plus plenty of other background information to fill in important gaps. We cleared a great many emotions during the five day period but some were much more intense and significant than others; shame and guilt at not exploring any kind of relaxation to manage early labour and feeling quite unprepared and scared when it began. There were many points where the common denominators were intimidation and feeling trapped with a loss of control over her body, her environment or the intervention which was eventually a necessity due to Georgia’s physical exhaustion.
Often, it only takes one element of a birth, a split second where a woman feels highly anxious, out of control or abandoned and this can knock confidence, self-esteem and self-belief. When the emotional impact of a traumatic birth is left unattended or as sometimes happens, is misdiagnosed as postnatal symptoms can continue to build that are now recognised as postnatal PTSD.
Counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy have until recently been the therapies prescribed for birth trauma and postnatal PTSD sufferers however they often involve lengthy treatment programmes and can take considerable time before improvements are noticeable.
The Pure Therapy Programme uses a therapy which is well suited to dissolving the emotions associated with trauma and offers a more manageable route to emotional wellbeing whilst being comparatively brief as a form of treatment.
Georgia was surprised at just how much emotion she was holding about the birth. Feelings of anger and then grief at not having the birth she wanted and jealousy towards other women on her postnatal ward who had experienced easier births. There were also a great deal of anger and intimidation during the assisted delivery and a feeling of being trapped with no ability to escape from the situation.
As these complex emotions started to dissolve, Georgia felt considerable emotional relief and each day became more and more relaxed and able to focus away from the memories of her birth experience and start looking towards the future. She noticed a dramatic improvement in her sleep and her ability to concentrate during the day on little things she had previously taken for granted, like reading a book. Georgia’s perspective was also starting to shift towards her birth experience and memories of some good moments were starting to surface in places.
This pattern continued over the course of the week and at the end of five days, Georgia had transformed considerably. During the therapy programme, Georgia spent time journaling her thoughts to observe changes in her perception and completed small exercises to restore her confidence and self-esteem. We also introduced hypnotherapy to improve sleep and seed positive self-belief.
Georgia is now a few months on from therapy and is gradually working towards phasing out her medication. She is also comfortable with the thought of having a second child when the time is right. Quite an unthinkable thought before we started therapy.
If you would like to find out how I can help you to clear the symptoms of postnatal PTSD, visit the Pure Therapy Programme page. Alternatively, use the form below to drop me a line or call and speak with me directly on 01276 21386.
Conception & Birth Services
Pure Therapy Programme Brief therapy to dissolve your fears, phobias, anxieties and any emotional trauma. This programme focuses on calming your mind, restoring your confidence and self-esteem, giving you back a sense of control in your life as well as the clarity to make important decisions.
Essential Support Programme Regular, short check-in sessions by phone to keep you calm, relaxed, optimistic and positively focused between significant milestones from conception to birth. The therapeutic toolkit enables sabotaging emotional wobbles to be dissolved in an instant.
HypnoBirthing® Classes The ultimate in birth preparation classes to teach both you and your partner how to use hypnotic relaxation skills, special breathing techniques and endorphin releasing massage to manage the physical demands of labour and feel calm, relaxed and confident during the birth.
Parent Coaching Programme No baby arrives with a manual and few parents have endless hours to devour a ‘how to’ book. Parent coaching is a supportive route to helping you create your own practical solutions to whatever parenting challenges you are facing, in time sensitive short sessions.