"Will I ever feel like myself again?""Why am I so sad and irritable all of the time?""Will my wife ever be like she used to be?""Why didn't anyone tell us to expect this?" If you or someone you love is among the one in seven women stricken by PPD, you know how hard it is to get real help. In this definitive guide, postpartum experts Karen Kleiman and Valerie Davis Raskin offer compassionate support and solid advice on dealing with every aspect of PPD. Their proven self-help program, which can be used alone or with a support group or therapist, will help you monitor each phase of illness, recognize when you need professional help, cope with daily life, and recover with new strength and confidence. Learn how to:Identify the symptoms of PPD and distinguish it from "baby blues"Deal with panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive urges, and stress overloadBreak the cycle of shame and negative thoughtsMobilize support from your husband or partner, family, and friendsSeek and evaluate treatment optionsCope with the disappointment and loss of self-esteem

Author Biography

Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW, an international expert on postpartum depression, is the founder of The Postpartum Stress centre. Her other books include Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts and Therapy and the Postpartum Woman.Valerie Davis Raskin, MD, is a Regional Medical Officer-Psychiatrist with the United States Foreign Service. She was formerly Chief of the Psychiatry Service and the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, where she worked in the Women's Health Clinic, and was cofounder of the Women's Psychiatry Service in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago.