We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How can I Deal with Depression After Miscarriage?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 8,814
Share

It is profoundly difficult to deal with depression after miscarriage, whether it stems from emotional or physiological sources, or both. Clearly, this time of difficulty warrants as much support as women can garner. Many women find help through group therapy, individual therapeutic assistance, and/or medical advice. With these different types of support, most women can eventually arrive at a place where the pain is lessened.

Depression after miscarriage needs to be understood from several contexts. Women might suffer from true postpartum depression due to a decline in pregnancy hormones. Also, miscarriage can be anything from slightly sad to devastating, and the sadness that accompanies losing a baby might or might not have a biochemical feature. Depression is a serious illness and grief is a challenging state of mind, but women usually cannot tell by feelings alone whether they are truly depressed or only grieving. Thus, getting medical help and therapeutic support is highly recommended.

There are a number of ways to get support for depression after miscarriage. Many hospice or hospital-based organizations have pregnancy loss support groups. One of the things many women find comforting about group support is the ability to talk to others who are experiencing the same kind of loss. Having a place to share with other women who are in a similar place emotionally can help provide validation and ease feelings of isolation.

While support groups are all some women require to get through sadness or depression after miscarriage, they’re not always adequate. Many women benefit from individual support in a counseling setting with either a grief counselor or psychotherapist. The advantage of the psychotherapist in this setting is that he or she can suggest whether sadness is so profound it meets the diagnostic standards for true depression. In this case, the woman could be referred to a doctor or psychiatrist for medical/drug therapy.

An alternative is seeing a medical general practitioner or psychiatrist early on to discuss the possible benefits of using an antidepressant. The use of antidepressants isn’t necessarily alternative to therapy. Psychotherapy and antidepressant use can be pursued concurrently and are most effective together.

Anyone who feels so devastated by a miscarriage that she begins to entertain suicidal thoughts or is unable to function in daily life may need medication. It’s not as clear that profound grief is an indication for medication use or represents an ongoing depressive condition. Moreover, if a woman plans to get pregnant again soon, there is reason to avoid antidepressant use. Recent studies indicate that many antidepressants create higher risks for birth defects, and it’s fairly clear they are best not used in pregnancy unless risk to the mother is too high without them.

Grief or depression after miscarriage is common, and most women find they benefit from support during this time. Support doesn’t need to be as formal as the methods suggested above. Many women know someone else who has a lost a child, and simple, open friendship, especially when women share this grief in common, can promote healing.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-can-i-deal-with-depression-after-miscarriage.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.