Pregnancy Blues by Shaila Misri

Pregnancy Blues by Shaila Misri

It should be a time of joyous anticipation-the happiest time in a woman's life. But for many women, the joys of pregnancy are clouded by feelings of fear, sadness, and confusion. And unlike postpartum depression, which is widely portrayed in the media and embraced by the medical community, depression during pregnancy has been rarely discussed and often misunderstood-until now. In this groundbreaking book-the first to focus exclusively on depression in pregnancy-Dr. Shaila Kulkarni Misri, a leading reproductive psychiatrist, draws on her twenty-five years of clinical practice and research to offer hope, help, and healing-as well as a provocative, myth-shattering examination of a subject that has too long been shrouded in darkness.

The numbers are surprising: up to 70 percent of pregnant women experience some degree of depressive symptoms, and of those, 12 percent meet the diagnostic criteria for major depression. Although it is at least as common as postpartum depression, which occurs after a child's birth, pregnancy-related depression is often cloaked in silence, shame, and denial. Pregnancy Blues lifts the veil on this heartbreaking-and very treatable-
illness, examining the key social and biological factors that can come together during pregnancy to create a climate in which depression and anxiety thrive, as well as offering the many effective treatments that are available. Discover:

- How to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression-and know when to seek help
- The role of female hormones: why women are more vulnerable to depression than men
- How depression can hide behind physical complaints, such as back, stomach, or even chest pain
- The unspoken connection between infertility and depression
- The antidepressant controversy: the facts on specific drugs, their safety-and when medication is the right choice
- Breastfeeding and medication-the risks and benefits

Plus helpful self-tests and resources, information on alternative treatment options-from therapy to acupuncture-and much more. A work of daring and compassion, Pregnancy Blues challenges the underlying traditions and beliefs surrounding pregnancy and motherhood-and explores how those misconceptions have led to the drastic underdiagnosis and undertreatment of depression during pregnancy. A must-read for women and those who love them, Pregnancy Blues is at once an extraordinary roadmap to healing and an eye-opening report on a medical issue that no woman can afford to miss.

From the Hardcover edition.

Shaila Kulkarni Misri, MD, Frcpc, is one of the leading reproductive psychiatrists in North America and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in women's mental health and reproductive issues. She is the founder and director of Reproductive Mental Health at both St. Paul's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre in Vancouver, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780385338660
ISBN 10	038533866X
Title	Pregnancy Blues
Author	Shaila Misri
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Delacorte Press
Year published	2005-08-30
Number of pages	336
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.