Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) Myths we need to bust!

8 PMADs Myths we need to bust

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD)!

Is well-known to anyone that there are many myths about Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) that involve not only false beliefs, but can even confuse people who are going through it. We believe that to debunk these myths the most important thing is to talk about them and make informed decisions. 

Therefore, we have made a list of the 8 Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) Myths we need to bust! Here we go! 

Huge shout out to the incredible Lacey Castilleja-Fisher, Perinatal Therapist for collaborating on this blog! 

Myth: Parents that have a perinatal loss or TFMR do not experience PMAD

Reality: Parents that have perinatal loss at any stage of pregnancy can still experience PMAD .

Myth: Parents struggling with fertility cannot get PMAD

Reality: Even those trying to conceive are still at risk for developing PMAD during the process and increased risk of developing them once they are pregnant and/or deliver.

Myth: Only parents with a history of mental health concerns are at risk of developing a PMAD

Reality: While those with mental health concerns are at increased risk of developing a PMAD, they may not and those with no history of mental health concerns can still develop a PMAD, it can happen to anyone.

Myth: A person experiencing a PMAD is an unfit or dangerous parent

Reality: There is often an assumption that a person with a PMAD is struggling too much mentally and therefore cannot take care of that baby. Parents with PMAD’s can be just as successful at raising and protecting a child as parents without PMAD. 

Myth: PMAD’s only occur in unwanted or unplanned pregnancies 

Reality: Even parents that planned their pregnancies or tried to conceive for years can still struggle with adjusting to caretaking for a newborn and those with unplanned pregnancies may not develop a PMAD.

Related: Top 5 Things To Do When Your Client Feels Like They’re Failing

Myth: Only parents of biological children can experience PMAD

Reality: Parents that foster and adopt children can still develop PMAD.

Myth: A person with postpartum depression should be sent to a psychiatric hospital

Reality: A common misconception is that a person with postpartum depression wants to harm their baby. Most people do not have thoughts of harming their baby, and if they do, they feel really scared about this thought and have no intention of harming their baby. In extremely rare cases, a parent can experience postpartum psychosis which would be considered a mental health emergency, but rarely does that lead to a parent harming their child when appropriate intervention is involved.

Myth: PMAD’s are untreatable

Reality: Some people may worry that if they have a PMAD, they will feel depressed and anxious forever and there is nothing that can help. With proper support, understanding, assistance from a therapist, psychiatrist, or doula PMAD are very treatable. 

Related: How Having a PMAD Made Me a Better Doula

If you are a professional working with pregnant folks and families, and wondering how you can support clients that you suspect may have Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD).  

We encourage you to join us for the upcoming workshops: “Shining a Light on the Silent Epidemic: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD), Lack of Disclosure and Racial Disparity”. We have created this workshop to give you the tools, information, and resources to be able to support your clients with PMAD, and gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD).

If you, a client, or someone you love is in danger, seek help immediately by dialing 911, or using one of the options below:

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line: Text CONNECT to 741741 in the United States

PSI Warmline 1-800-944-4773 (#1 En Español or #2 English) or Text “Help” to 800-944-4773 (EN), o envía un texto en Español al: 971-203-7773

Xoxo,