In the months after giving birth to her first child, Claire Sugden battled a severe anxiety disorder that she said left her “unrecognizable” as a human being.
The former justice minister said she wanted to speak publicly about her experience with postnatal anxiety because she didn’t want other parents to go through what she went through.
The independent MLA for East Londonderry welcomed daughter Indi with husband Andy in May 2023.
She said she was prepared for the newborn period to be difficult, but in the weeks after Indy’s arrival, her anxiety quickly escalated and she developed irrational fears and worries about everyday events. spoke.
“I was really struggling to function. I was always worried that something was going to happen to her,” Sugden said. BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today program.
“In my head I had a picture of the situation, but in reality it’s unlikely,” she said.
“If I had walked down the stairs, I would have imagined that Indy would jump out of my arms.
“It was really hard to travel by car with my girlfriend, I was worried about oncoming traffic and worried there would be a horrible accident.
“If your baby had even a small spot, you would imagine the worst, that it would be sick, and you would cry.
“Due to my anxiety, I was reluctant to go anywhere for the first few months.
“Every day was tough.”
What is postpartum anxiety?
According to the National Health Service (NHS), in addition to postnatal depression, many other mental health conditions can develop not only during pregnancy but also after giving birth.
These include:
- Anxiety disorders – including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – intrusive, unwanted and unpleasant thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly invade a person’s mind, causing anxiety and leading to repetitive behaviors
Health charity Mind says perinatal anxiety is anxiety experienced before or after giving birth.
If you are pregnant, this is prenatal or prenatal anxiety. If it’s the year after giving birth, this is postpartum anxiety or postpartum anxiety. Some people may experience both.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
People living with anxiety may experience a wide range of symptoms, including:
- a rumbling feeling in the stomach
- Feeling light-headed, dizzy, or restless
- breathing becomes faster
- sweating or hot flashes
- Feeling tense, nervous, and unable to relax
- It feels like the world is speeding up or slowing down.
- I feel like I can’t stop worrying
“I couldn’t eat it.”
Sugden has lived with what she describes as “low-level anxiety” since her teens and has always been able to cope with the condition, but what she experienced after giving birth was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. He said that the situation was very different and had become a serious burden.
“Within a month of giving birth, I lost two stone and couldn’t eat,” Sugden said.
“At the time, I don’t think I understood what was happening to me, even though people around me encouraged me to get support,” she said.
“I was reluctant and resistant to helping because I felt like this is what it means to be a new parent.
“But looking back now, in those first few months I had no idea who I was.
“I had a really great medical visitor who realized what was going on was wrong and advised me to get additional support.”
Ms Sugden said intervention by medical professionals was transformative for her and she is now recovering well.
Spot the signs of postpartum anxiety
Dr Maggie Kelly is a Consultant Psychiatrist working with the Western Trust’s Perinatal Mental Health team.
She said it’s important for families to be on the lookout for behavior that is out of character for new parents.
“We have seen many women with similar challenges offered intervention and able to move forward with their lives and their babies,” Dr Kelly said.
“It’s okay to ask for help. If your mood changes or you develop new symptoms, please confide in someone you trust first,” she said.
“We rely so much on what our families see.
“Families know their partner, daughter or sister and should have a low level of suspicion when they see signs of unusual behavior.
“If you notice that your new mother is acting differently, it’s important to seek and seek help.”
early intervention
Dr Kelly said there is evidence to suggest that anxiety conditions such as GAD, OCD and PTSD have a higher incidence in the perinatal population compared to the general population.
“This is a vulnerable time and we don’t want to cause any more anxiety for mothers, but early intervention is key,” she says.
“That means the prognosis is much better.”
Claire Sugden said she had never felt happier since dealing with anxiety and wanted to talk about her experience to let others know there is hope.
“We talk a lot about postpartum depression, but we don’t talk about postpartum anxiety, so people don’t realize it and think it’s a new part of being a mother,” Sugden says. spoke.
“As a parent, worry is with you all your life, but what I had was very severe anxiety that I needed support for.
“My message to those who feel the same way is that you don’t have to feel this way, there is support out there.
“You can come out the other side and enjoy your baby and your life.”
