A woman’s pregnancy is the time when she has to be at her emotional and physical best. Yet, there are certain conditions that can cause complications and issues. Depression and anxiety is one such problem which can lead to a number of issues. The problem is that many women are not even aware of this fact and may attribute the changes to simple mood swings and hormonal changes. If depression goes undetected during pregnancy or becomes aggravated because a person stops taking the medication due to the pregnancy, it can actually lead to a host of problems.

Let us find out more about pregnancy and the silent disease called depression.

High Probability
You will be surprised to learn that many medical studies have concluded that every one in four pregnant women will go through depression during pregnancy. This can be attributed to major hormonal changes. Complications like ectopic pregnancy and other such reasons for miscarriage earlier can also make a high risk pregnancy which can lead to anxiety and depression.

Hormonal Changes
So let us find out how these hormonal changes work. The hormones in our mind and body send out chemical messages to the brain so that it has the right emotion at the right time which may propel the person to carry out certain actions. But during a hormonal imbalance, the person’s neurotransmitters or chemical messages may get confused which may cause a range of extreme emotions starting from happiness to sadness and even depression. This also happens due to the fact that pregnancy in general, especially for the first time mother, can be a pretty confusing time. This can also cause depression along with the hormonal changes when the right hormones are not released at the right time for the neurotransmitters to their work in the right manner.

Antepartum
Depression during pregnancy is also medically termed as antepartum and it can lead to many challenges and even complications if not treated appropriately and on time. The signs of this kind of a condition includes persistent sadness along with recurring thoughts of guilt and helplessness. The expecting mother may also have trouble falling off to sleep, which can lead to further hormonal imbalances. Further, anxiety can kick of stressful situations and even relationship problems which can also manifest in the form of postpartum depression where the new mother will not be able to function and take care of her child in a normal way.

Treatment
The best way to treat this kind of depression is through early detection. One should not ignore the earliest signs of antepartum, especially if there is persistent sadness and talk of guilt. This should immediately be reported to the doctor who will refer the patient to a psychiatrist or psychologist for treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the primary forms of therapy that is carried out in such cases. The doctor will also have to prescribe the right medicines in case the level of depression is too high and almost suicidal. In such cases, one will have to have plenty of support in terms of home and relationships.