“But You Don’t Look Depressed”
By Reema Jawairia
MD, Double Board-Certified Gastroenterologist
Reading Time:
2 minutes
I had scored an 11 on the EPDS* scale at a post-partum (after giving birth) visit after having my second son (A score of 10 or more indicates a minor or major depression).
The nurse practitioner doing the follow-up looked at the paper and then looked at me and said: “BUT YOU DON’T LOOK DEPRESSED”, with a smile. Just because I didn’t look disheveled! Moreover, she was like be grateful that you have a healthy baby though my son was in NICU**.
I was baffled. I was not seen by the doctor, my OBGYN***, and was told to follow-up in 6 months.
I came home in disbelief and utterly confused. Just because I didn’t fit the ‘profile’ of a depressed person, my symptoms were ignored.
Thankfully, I was able to come out of my depressive state with the army of people to lean on – my husband, my mom and my family – as well as my faith.
What is post-partum depression?
It is a major depression that occurs after giving birth. Symptoms are present for most of the day and lasts for at least 2 weeks. So many women suffer silently without having an army of people to lean on…
1 in every 7 women suffers from post-partum depression
In a study of 2019 women referred for major depression during or after pregnancy, about 11.5% reported start of depression during pregnancy, 66.5% reported start of depression within 6 weeks of childbirth (early postpartum), and 22% reported onset 6 weeks after childbirth (late postpartum). One woman reported depression at more than 27 weeks after childbirth.
As physicians and healthcare providers, we have to do better mental illness screening like for any physical disease
Furthermore as a society, we have to stop the stigma associated with mental illness so person suffering gets the appropriate help they deserve.
If you are a person suffering from mental illness, please don’t keep it to yourself
Talk to someone. Get help. There’s power in sharing to inspire others to do the same.
To know more about this initiative: Stop Stigmatizing Mental Health: Our Stories, by Women In Medicine
*Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
**Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
*** Obstetrician-Gynecologist (OBGYN)
