UBH Denton Highlights Research Regarding New Moms and OCD Symptoms
Denton, Texas (PRWEB) July 25, 2013 -- The psychiatric hospital UBH Denton responds to a current article in Scientific American suggesting that new moms may experience OCD symptoms. The article notes that the occasional life changes such as having a new baby, moving across country or developing a serious injury can “precipitate a mental disorder. The problem is compounded because people often assume their suffering is par for the course after such upheaval. In reality, relief is probably a short treatment away, via therapy or medication.”
The report mentions that the “normal” anxieties many new mothers experience “can escalate into more serious obsessions that can interfere with her ability to care for herself and her baby.” Recent research on postpartum psychiatric problems tends to focus on depression and psychosis. However, obstetricians like Emily Miller of Northwestern University are beginning to recognize trends in anxiety-related disorders, along with intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. “It’s good to check that your baby is strapped into the car seat,” she said. “But these women aren’t just doing it once. They’re doing it over and over, and it’s interfering with their lives.”
The professionals at University Behavioral Health Denton, or UBH Denton, shed light on OCD as an anxiety disorder. “People are consumed by unreasonable thoughts or fears, which can inevitably result in the performance of repeated behaviors,” they said. “Even if they know their thoughts or actions are irrational, they can’t control them. The obsessions and compulsions continue to rule their lives. While it’s common to have some obsessions, as in ‘I like doing this a certain way,’ it’s not healthy when the habits occur in a vicious cycle. The more an individual tries to control the behavior, the more out of control their actions become. While scientists recognize multiple areas of the brain that are engaged with fear and anxiety, it’s unclear what the exact causes are.”
The psychiatric hospital continues to point out that obsessive compulsive disorder is typically treated with a combination of medication and therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy has proven effective in many patients – a type of treatment that helps them restructure the ways of thinking, behaving and reacting. By altering the thought process, OCD patients experience reduced fear and anxiety.
According to the article, Miller and her colleagues shadowed 461 women after they gave birth. “Eleven percent said they had obsessions and compulsions two weeks after delivery that the researchers found to be the equivalent of mild to moderate obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD] – a sharp increase over the 2 to 3 percent rate of OCD in the general population. Half of these women’s symptoms continued six month’s postpartum, and an additional 5.4 percent developed new OCD symptoms in that time. The afflicted women indicated that their symptoms were distressing, taking up a significant amount of time and otherwise interfering with their daily life.” The staff at UBH Denton urges people to seek immediate attention if they believe they are demonstrating signs of obsessive compulsive disorder.
ABOUT:
UBH Denton, or University Behavioral Health Denton, is a freestanding psychiatric hospital in Denton, Texas. The facilities were founded in 2005, continuing to offer mental health and chemical dependency treatment. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable, and the hospital adopts an evidence-based treatment approach that has proven positive outcomes. The facilities meet the needs of children, teenagers and adults in inpatient and outpatient settings.
Rachel March, PR Management Inc., 484-362-9658, [email protected]
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