SOLO: How I Healed my Anxiety and Depression Postpartum and Post-Weaning with SSRI Medication and EMDR Therapy

Mind Body Mother host Helene Kusman opens up about her debilitating anxiety and depression after having her first baby. Unlike the PPA/PPD symptoms she had read about while pregnant, she was caught off guard by the “slow boil” to being 8 months postpartum and post-weaning when things spiraled out of control. Helene was able to get her mental health back to a good place with a combination of SSRI medication, EMDR therapy and some lifestyle changes that she details in this episode.

Helene shares finally going to her primary care doctor and describing symptoms of feeling anxious all the time, not having an appetite and being exhausted even when she got good sleep, to have the doctor explain that her anxiety had compacted over time resulting in depression. She discusses the SSRI meds (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) that she was prescribed and slowly weaned onto that helped her feel better. She also shares her challenges with eventually coming off of the drug when she felt better and dealing with the side effect of vertigo.

This episode also covers the EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy that Helene did for years for anxiety before this diagnosis and continued to do throughout and after. She describes how the therapy addresses trauma and and why it worked for her.

Helene describes feeling anxious from the start after birth which worsened after her son's feeding issues, tongue tie revision, failure to thrive diagnosis and hormone drop after weaning from exclusively pumping. She also shared her feelings of lost identity when becoming a mom and how she felt like she needed an energy shift resulting in signing up for a Reiki Healing Training and Yoga Teacher Training that led her to becoming a Reiki Healer and Yoga Teacher.

If you have experienced anxiety or depression or have supported a loved one through mental health struggles, this episode is relatable, comforting and packed with inspiration, hope and helpful ideas.

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.