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Postnatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (PN-OCD) is a largely unknown condition occurring in 35-70% of women during the postnatal period. The condition stands alone from the better-known conditions of Postnatal Depression and Postnatal Psychosis.
Although the majority of new mothers have anxious thoughts of harm coming to their baby, mothers with PN-OCD experience intense anxious thoughts that are intrusive and repetitive. These thoughts revolve around a persistent and disturbing fear of causing severe or fatal harm to their baby, such as "...visions of stabbing, drowning or suffocating the baby repeatedly throughout the day." ([1]). These thoughts commonly loop through the mother's mind, leading to doubts in her ability to be a good parent, and grave concern that she may actually be capable of acting on these thoughts. It is important to note that the awareness of these thoughts and the desire to stop thinking this way indicates the mother is no more dangerous than those without PN-OCD, thus it is markedly different from Postnatal Psychosis, a condition in which the sufferer loses touch with reality.
Sufferers of PN-OCD are very unlikely to disclose their thoughts to anyone else for fear of judgment, criticism, or the possibility of legal intervention if judged to be an unfit parent. Correct diagnosis differentiating from Postnatal Depression or Postnatal Psychosis is imperative to allow for the correct course of treatment. Medication, such as anti-depressants, has been found to work successfully in the majority of cases. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) may also be useful for the mother to challenge the negative thought patterns.
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