I read somewhere that the physiological disorder, Pre-Menstrual Symptom (PMS) was hi-jacked by psychologists. It got me wondering if Postpartum Mood Disorder (PMDD) was also a victim of hi-jacking. I’m not a doctor, but as a woman who has survived almost every hormonal disruption possible, my intuition says that I didn’t have a mental illness called Postpartum Anxiety Disorder but rather a physiological disease that could be called Postpartum Progesterone Deficiency or better yet Postpartum Hormone Disruption Syndrome. It’s not that I am afraid of admitting that I had anxiety after my baby was born, but I question how something going on inside my body was solved so elegantly, so swiftly by balancing my hormones.

We know that a symptom of low progesterone is anxiety and we know low estrogen causes depression. We know many women are unnecessarily being prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication for hormonal imbalances like PMS and menopause, etc. So does it stand to reason that a hormone disrupting event could be treated with a hormone balancing treatment? Perhaps it sounds like I am trying to simplify a complicated illness, however, interestingly, visits to a variety of respected North American medical websites reveal the same disturbing information: they all mention fluctuating hormones as a possible or probable factor in postpartum mood disorders but almost never mention balancing hormones as a treatment! Somehow that doesn’t sit right with me, layperson though I am. Instead the popular websites indicate that treatment for postpartum depression/anxiety is medication and psychotherapy and in extreme cases shock therapy!

The more informed I become the more I get the sense that women’s health issues are being blatantly branded as mental health disorders that need to be treated with anti-depressants. I have been offered anti-depressants to treat PMS as well as postpartum mood disorder, both of which were easily treated with bio-identical hormones and free of adverse side-effects.

How long are women going to have to suffer because of the suspicion and lack of research over bio-identical hormones, yet anti-depressants are handed out like candies, knowing full well the myriad side-effects that go with them.

***Postpartum Psychosis is a medical emergency - if you or someone you know is suffering please seek immediate medical help. My opinions are my own, based on my own experience, which may differ from other women's. The intention of this blog is not to provide specific medical advice. For full disclaimer click <a title="Disclaimer" href="http://www.hormonesoup.com/who-am-i/who-i-am-not/" target="_blank">here</a><a href="http://www.hormonesoup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dreamstime_xs_9756264.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-630" title="http://www.dreamstime.com/-image9756264" src="http://www.hormonesoup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dreamstime_xs_9756264-150x150.jpg" alt="Balance" width="150" height="150" /></a>