Depression After Hysterectomy - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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Depression After Hysterectomy

Depression After Hysterectomy

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Depression After Hysterectomy

It's been six weeks since my hysterectomy, and I'm feeling good physically and have returned to work and resumed my normal daily routine. But, I feel so sad. What's wrong with me?

Many women experience a change in their emotions after their hysterectomy. Studies have shown that most women enjoy a better mood, quality of life, and sexual, psychological, and social functioning following their hysterectomy. A high percentage of women who have problems with anxiety or depression before their hysterectomy find that, with their improved physical health after the surgery, their previous depressed feelings go away.

However, some women, including those with no past history of depression or anxiety, feel sad after their hysterectomy. A woman's emotions are often based on her beliefs about the importance of her uterus, her fears about her health or personal relationships after a hysterectomy, and concerns about her enjoyment of sexual activities after surgery. Grieving the loss of childbearing ability is very common after a hysterectomy, even for those who never wanted to give birth, or who had previously felt their family was complete. In most cases, as a post-op hysterectomy patient’s physical healing progresses, and her life gradually gets back to normal, her feelings of sadness fade away. As time passes, she starts to feel “like her former self” again, and her emotional health returns to normal. However, those who experience a long-lasting, persistent low mood, should see their physician for a depression evaluation.

The disease of depression is much more than just a temporary grieving or a bout with the blues. Depression is a medical disorder with a biological and chemical basis. Depression affects a person’s thoughts, moods, feelings, behavior and even physical health. People used to think it was "all in your head" and that if you really tried, you could "snap out of it" or just "get over it." But doctors now know that depression is not a weakness, and it's not something you can treat on your own.

Doctors don’t know for certain what causes depression, and doubt that there is single cause that applies to all patients. It is an illness that often runs in families. People of all ages and races suffer from depression. Depression may commence spontaneously with no identifiable specific cause. It may happen only once in a person's lifetime, or it may occur as repeated episodes, with depression-free periods in between.. It also may be a chronic condition, requiring ongoing treatment over a lifetime.

Experts believe a genetic vulnerability combined with environmental factors, such as stress or physical illness, may trigger an imbalance in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, resulting in depression. Imbalances in three neurotransmitters — serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine — seem to be linked to depression.

Hormonal changes may be a contributing factor to developing this imbalance, and a period of hormonal disruption usually occurs even for hysterectomy patients who kept their ovaries. Those patients may find that their low mood lifts after their ovaries return to normal functioning. For women who had their ovaries removed, improvement in mood may occur after HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) begins.

Medications are available that are safe and effective, even for the most severe cases. With proper treatment, most people with depression improve, often within weeks, and can return to normal daily activities.

As part of the post-surgery follow-up care they provide, at your post-op medical appointments, your physician should inquire about your mood and sense of well-being, and evaluate and treat any condition of this nature appropriately. If your doctor does not bring up this topic, then you need to do so. Help is available, so there is no reason to continue to suffer.

The following article may prove both enlightening and helpful to you:

Depression in Women - Understanding the Gender Gap

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Recommended for Hysterectomy Recovery

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Find A Doctor Near You

Geoffrey Cly, M.D. Suite 101, 11123 Parkview Plaza Drive Fort Wayne IN 46845 260-969-5530	Quanita Crable, M.D. 8160 Walnut Hill Lane Ste. LL-001 Dallas TX 75231 (469)364-3764	Devin Garza, M.D. 12201 Renfert Way, STE# 215 Austin TX 78758 512 425-3830
Wilfredo R. Ramos, M.D. 5301 F Street, Suite 210 Sacramento CA 95819 (916) 453-3440	Clifford Rogers, M.D. The Everett Clinic, Dept. of Surgery and Gynecology 1330 Rockefeller Ave, Suite 120 Everett WA 98201 425 339 5424	Mini Somasundaram, M.D. 4845 Knightsbridge Boulevard Suite 220 Columbus OH 43214 (614) 583-5552
Iris Orbuch, M.D. 202 Spring Street 2nd Floor New York NY 10012 212-343-3040	Steven McCarus, M.D. 400 Celebration Place Suite310 Celebration FL 34747 4073034190	Richard W Farnam, M.D. 1700 N. Oregon Suite 520 El Paso TX 79902 9155335600

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