What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal, natural response to situations we find stressful or challenging. In these situations, our brain and body undergo a series of physiological changes to try and help us manage the situation as effectively as possible. This means that anxiety is an adaptive response and can be helpful. For example, if we have an exam coming up, anxiety can help motivate us to study and ensure that we are well prepared for the exam. However, sometimes anxiety can be unhelpful. The way in which our brains and bodies respond to situations that we find stressful, or challenging hasn’t evolved over time to adapt to the situations we encounter and find stressful and challenging in modern society. This means that our brains and bodies still respond in the way that they did to try and help us in the past when the stressful situations we encountered were very different. For example, when we were cavemen and the stressful situations we encountered were animals trying to attack us, we needed our brains to produce adrenaline and lots of blood to pump to our muscles to give us the energy to either fight the animal or run away. However, these physiological changes are less helpful when faced with situations we find stressful or challenging in modern society, such as starting a new job, moving to a new country or becoming a parent. The physiological changes our bodies undergo in these situations can leave us feeling uncomfortable and confused, wondering if there is something wrong with us physically, when in fact it is a normal and natural response, even if a little outdated. This can serve to make us feel even worse, and even more anxious. Keep reading to understand how anxiety presents during the journey to motherhood and how to support someone experiencing anxiety during this period of their life.
How does anxiety present during the journey to motherhood?
Embarking on the journey to motherhood can evoke a wide range of emotions, from feelings of joy and excitement to fear and anxiety. This is because the journey to motherhood is often a bumpy one, with unexpected events that can be challenging and stressful. Therefore, most women will experience a degree of anxiety during this time. This is usually at a relatively low level and feels manageable. However, for some women the anxiety they experience will be severe and often debilitating, having a significant impact on themselves and their experience of their journey to motherhood.
We know that roughly 1 in 5 women will experience a mental health difficulty during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health difficulties to experience during this time. It can present in a range of ways, and everyone’s experience is unique. Many women find they are constantly preoccupied with worries about the health and safety of their baby. For other women they are terrified of giving birth, sometimes this is due to a previous negative experience of birth or other difficult life events. Some women experience distressing thoughts or images, often of something bad happening to them or their baby. As a result, they find themselves doing things to try and prevent them from experiencing these thoughts and images and the feared thing from happening such as taking extra care and precautions or avoiding doing certain things with their baby. These experiences can be incredibly distressing and have a huge impact on the woman, her family and her experience of the journey to motherhood. However, there is treatment available. We know that with the right support, from trained and experienced mental health clinicians’ things will improve. Please keep reading to learn more about our specialist maternal mental health service at Maudsley Health in Abu Dhabi.
What causes anxiety during the journey to motherhood?
There is no known single cause of anxiety during the journey to motherhood. The reasons that women develop anxiety during this time are often complex, with multiple factors at play. We know that there are some biological factors, such as genes and hormonal changes. There are also several psycho-social factors that are associated with an increased risk of developing anxiety such as history of anxiety, difficulties conceiving, receiving fertility treatment, previous experiences of miscarriage, baby or infant loss, a history of difficult life events or experiencing difficult life events during the journey to motherhood.
What can I do if I think I or someone I love is experiencing anxiety during their journey to motherhood?
By reading this blog you have already taken the first step in better understanding and managing your anxiety. We hope that by reading this blog you will see that you, or your loved one are not alone in their experience of anxiety. It is common to experience anxiety whilst you navigate your journey to and through motherhood. There are lots of reasons why people experience and struggle with anxiety during this time. Experiencing anxiety during this time doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be a mother or make you a bad mother. As we said at the beginning of the blog, anxiety is a normal, human response to challenging situations. However, you don’t have to suffer in silence or alone. There are a wide range of treatments available for anxiety, which research has shown to be effective. If you think that you or someone you know is experiencing anxiety during their journey to motherhood, please reach out for professional support.
Here at Maudsley Health we are passionate about raising awareness about mental health in the UAE and providing access to specialist mental health services. At Maudsley Health in Abu Dhabi we have a specialist maternal mental health team, which is comprised of psychiatrists and psychologists. The maternal mental health team have specialist training
and extensive experience of working with women experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy or the postnatal period, and their families.
We know that reaching out for help can feel really hard, we are here to listen, help and support you. We will offer you an assessment, which provides an opportunity to hear from you about the things that you are struggling with. We will then share with you our recommendations for treatment, which may include medication and/or psychological therapy. We will talk through the options for treatment together and make a plan that feels right for you and your family.
