2006-10-06 Postpartum depression can be serious problem. But is it also possible to suffer from baby blues if you've adopted a child? Experts say yes and it happens more often than you may think.
When Hope Manville adopted her son Gregory seven years ago. It was love at first sight."He was snuggly. He was cuddly. He was this wonderful baby," says Hope.
Then Hope started having a difficult time. She explains, "I just felt like something was wrong with me. I really felt like there was no floor and the bottom had dropped out of the world." She was depressed but never imagined she could have postpartum depression since she hadn't given birth.
The director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute says her condition is more common than people realize. "Women, primarily, who have adopted kids, and then for a multitude of reasons, just don't feel the joy they expected," explains Psychologist Mark Lerner. It's diagnosed as post adoption depression. "We do think it's under-diagnosed," says Lerner.
Lerner says it's caused by hormonal changes triggered by physical exhaustion and stress from the adoption process itself. "We have to take into account, what kinds of issues people brought to the table in the first place such as difficulties with fertility," explains Lerner.
The sadness can also stem from a slower than expected bonding. That's what happened to Karen Foli after adopting her daughter from India. Hope says, "She didn't feel like my child for a while. I tended to become very panicked very quickly." Through time, the connection did happen and the two developed a strong relationship. As for Hope, she healed too with a combination of therapy and family support. "Gregory is the light of our lives. We're an incredibly happy family," she says.
Some warning signs of post adoption depression include low energy, concentration problems, weight loss or gain, and crying for no reason.
