PTSD is commonly associated with wartime veterans and people who have experienced a serious crime or accident. Yet, new parents can also develop PTSD from a childbirth experience that takes a difficult turn. While you might have known that giving birth would be hard, experiencing an emergency that requires medical intervention, such as surgery or a forceps extraction, can often leave you traumatized. If you still don't feel completely back to normal during the weeks following your traumatic childbirth experience, consider these signs that signify that you may need to seek PTSD treatment to improve your mental health.

You Repeatedly Recall the Experience

Flashbacks are a common sign that you are having trouble getting over a trauma. You may notice that you keep thinking about what happened, even when you are trying to think about other things. Alternatively, you may experience nightmares that feel just like it did when everything happened. These flashbacks and nightmares may be extremely vivid. You may also feel the same intense emotions that you did during childbirth. Working through PTSD treatment therapy helps you learn how to address how you feel during these moments so that the intrusive memories begin to fade over time.

You Avoid All Reminders of the Event

Before you went through your trauma, you were likely preparing for your baby's arrival. Now, however, you may not be able to stand looking at anything that reminds you of what happened. You may have felt the need to toss out your baby's coming home outfit. You may also avoid medical appointments and facilities that remind you of the hospital. If your partner was present for the birth, then you may also avoid talking to them about what happened. In some cases, you may even avoid physical intimacy in your relationship out of the fear that you could get pregnant and go through the experience again. Treatment for PTSD can include techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy that help you to be more comfortable around these types of situations and people.

You Feel Constantly on Edge

Your whole body and mind may feel like you are constantly on alert. This is because trauma primes the mind to prepare to fight or take flight, and this does not always go away once you are back to safety. You may also find yourself snapping at people and being more irritable in general. Hearing noises, such as beeps, that remind you of what happened can also cause you to feel jumpier than normal. When you seek treatment, you can learn how to work through your symptoms of PTSD using relaxation strategies, such as mindfulness training and meditation. 

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