1. Postpartum Depression Slideshow Pictures
2. Understanding Depression Pictures
3. Depression Tips Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Signs and symptoms usually appear any time from 24 hours to a few months after delivery.

• If you have these, it is important to see a health care professional, who will look for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.
• Sad mood, frequent crying
• Lack of pleasure or interest in activities that once gave pleasure
• Sleep disturbance
• Weight loss
• Loss of energy
• Agitation or anxiety
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death, suicide or homicide of the baby
• Decreased interest in sex
• Feelings of rejection
• Physical symptoms such as frequent headaches, chest pain, rapid heart beat, numbness, shakiness or dizziness, and mild shortness of breath suggest anxiety. Postpartum anxiety disorder is a separate disorder from postpartum depression, but the two often occur together.
• See the introduction to this article for symptoms specific to the types of postpartum depression.

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