What if giving birth left you with nightmares, hypervigilance, and a constant sense of dread — and no one believed you? Worse, what if you didn’t think it mattered because, after all, the baby is healthy? In this eye-opening episode, host Gabe Howard talks with ADAA member expert Dr. Lauren Sippel about a condition many have never heard of: postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Sippel explains what postpartum PTSD really looks like, why it's often misdiagnosed, and how to tell the difference between typical new parent stress and clinical trauma. Often overshadowed by postpartum depression and dismissed by loved ones and providers, postpartum PTSD is a silent struggle affecting far more people than we realize.

If you or someone you love has felt lost or dismissed after childbirth, this conversation could be life-changing.

Special thanks to Evernorth Health Services for providing funding for today's episode.

Additional Links:

PC-PTSD-5—infographic (self-screening tool): https://adaa.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/How%20to%20Know%20If%20You%20Should%20Talk%20with%20Your%20Healthcare%20Provider%20About%20PTSD.pdf

Postpartum Support International website: https://www.postpartum.net/

“There are so many things that can happen in that delivery. I've heard about the peaceful ones. I personally had two unmedicated ones that were not intentionally unmedicated. There was a lot of screaming. And my babies were healthy. And some things went as smoothly as expected and some things did not go as planned. And one of them was pretty scary. And thankfully I did not experience PTSD symptoms from that. Could I tell you why, Gabe? Absolutely not. And if I did, I probably couldn't tell you that either.” ~Lauren M. Sippel, PhD

Our guest, Lauren Sippel, PhD, is the Deputy Director of the Northeast Program Evaluation Center in the Department of Veterans Affairs and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She co-leads the ADAA PTSD Special Interest Group. Her research focuses on improving the quality and effectiveness of psychotherapies, particularly those for PTSD, using strategies such as medication augmentation and family involvement.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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Postpartum PTSD: What Parents Need to Know

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