On Maternal Mental Health Day, NOCD moms weigh in on the impact of OCD on motherhood
Navigating pregnancy and being a new parent can be hard, but life becomes even more challenging when you’re dealing with a mental health condition, like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While it can be easy to feel alone in these struggles, one in five new mothers are impacted by mental health conditions, and one to two percent of new mothers are impacted by OCD. In fact, maternal mental health is the most common health complication associated with pregnancy and birth, according to the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance.
With today being Maternal Mental Health Day, we’re highlighting four ways perinatal and postpartum OCD can impact lives—from symptom flare-ups to obsessions that center around your new baby—and the best ways to get help.
Read on to learn more about this often overlooked subtype of OCD.
1. Pregnancy increases risk of OCD
Research shows that people who are pregnant, or who have recently given birth, are at an increased risk of developing OCD symptoms or experiencing a flare-up, due to hormonal fluctuations that occur during this time. As one NOCD member describes, “I’m in my second trimester and OCD has increased ten fold. It’s way worse than it’s ever been.”
Having a child is a major responsibility, so it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. In fact, the International OCD Foundation found that 80 percent of new mothers—whether they have OCD symptoms or not—experienced unwanted, disturbing, or uncomfortable thoughts. These thoughts may feel too taboo to even discuss with a loved one. But, it’s important to remember that they’re not a reflection of who you are, or what you truly value.
Even if you previously learned to manage your OCD symptoms effectively through exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy before getting pregnant, it’s perfectly normal to need more support during and after pregnancy.
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2. Having postpartum OCD does NOT make you dangerous
If you have postpartum OCD, one of your biggest fears may be losing control and acting on taboo intrusive thoughts, like hurting your baby. Even though thoughts like these may make you feel like you’re losing your mind, they are not a reflection of your true intentions. You’re just stuck in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions, which can be managed through ERP therapy.
“I know how terrifying it is to have thoughts you do not understand that make you question who you are,” says Mackenzie Nordone, a support group facilitator at NOCD. “Those thoughts do not make you a bad parent—the fact that they hurt so much means you deeply care about your child.”
Nordone says shame can weigh heavily on new mothers dealing with intrusive thoughts, which can make it hard to reach out for help. ERP therapists hear these types of unwanted thoughts all day long, and they will never judge you for them. Instead, they’ll help you learn to manage them with more ease.
3. Support from other moms makes a difference
It can feel extremely isolating to deal with a mental health issue when you’re pregnant, and it’s common for that loneliness to persist even once you’ve given birth. “It can feel like a silent struggle,” says Allie Spomer, MS, LPC, LMHC, a NOCD therapist who has experienced perinatal OCD herself. But, you don’t have to navigate these feelings alone.
Connecting with other new parents during the perinatal and postpartum periods can make a huge difference. That might mean tapping into your existing support network, or finding new communities, like NOCD’s support groups for parents and moms. “You can say the things you might be afraid to tell friends or family,” Nordone explains. “It is a group of people who truly get it.”
The bonds created in these groups help you break through feelings of isolation, reduce shame, learn skills for managing symptoms, and—perhaps most importantly—boost confidence and resilience.
4. ERP therapy can help you show up for your kids
Whether you’re distracted by taboo intrusive thoughts, or riddled with guilt about your symptoms, OCD can make parenting feel especially tricky. Luckily, there are therapists trained in perinatal and postpartum OCD, who can help you get back to fully enjoying family time. “ERP will feel hard at first, but you will get through it,” Spomer says. “What’s waiting for you is a future with your baby, without intrusive thoughts controlling your every move.”