how do I help my friend with postpartum depression?
July 5th, 2010 | 
Author: My friend who has 4 daughters has postpartum depression even though her last one is 4 years old. I think she still suffers from her depression time to time – still on medication. I don’t know much about it but I want to help. What can I do to help her?
Hopefully she’s talking with a therapist who specializes in ppd. The therapist can put together a comprehensive strategy for her so she can recover completely. She will need specific nutrients to support her brain chemistry, good nighttime sleep, emotional support (that’s you!) and sound physical support so she receives regular breaks away from her children throughout the week.
Dr. Shoshana Bennett
Posted in postpartum depression
Offer to watch her kids and let her go out by herself to get a massage or a manicure or whatever. Another thing you can do is be with her. Spend the day with her. Help her clean her house or do laundry.
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Just be there for her and listen to her. Many people will be too afraid to do anything at this point and will push her away. That’s the worst thing you can do! Just be a friend and reassure her that you care. Email, phone, drop in if she doesn’t mind that. The odd card or note or flowers can mean so much. It’s really good for her to be out of the house, so encourage her to go shopping with you if she can. Practical help is awesome too but what she needs most right now is a friend. Assure her that this isn’t her fault and with treatment she can and will get better, and that you still like to be around her. (Sometimes it’s hard to see that there’s hope, and that’s the worst part of depression.)
That’s so nice of you to want to help, you’re a good friend.
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I suffered from depression for years and during that time I lost a lot of friends- and they are what meant the most to me. They just couldn’t "deal" or were too busy- they weren’t bad people- but they weren’t there for me when I desperately needed them.
http://www.whatadifference.org
find a baby sitter and take her for a girls day out. go to lunch, a little light shopping(even at some sort of dollar store if money’s tight), get a pedicure or massage, just stuff like that. maybe try to make it a kind of bi-weekly ritual so she has something to look forward to.
References :
http://youranswer.framed.net
A very informative website you can also get much information in website
References :
Hopefully she’s talking with a therapist who specializes in ppd. The therapist can put together a comprehensive strategy for her so she can recover completely. She will need specific nutrients to support her brain chemistry, good nighttime sleep, emotional support (that’s you!) and sound physical support so she receives regular breaks away from her children throughout the week.
Dr. Shoshana Bennett
References :
http://ClearSky-Inc.com