Postpartum depression is the most common complication women experience after childbirth , nearly 700,000 new moms suffer from it each year. Yet this serious mood disorder, characterized by sadness, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and guilt, insomnia, and thoughts of harming the baby or oneself, continues to be widely misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed. In Postpartum Depression Demystified, renowned PPD authority Joyce Venis and Suzanne McCloskey, both PPD sufferers themselves, turn their combined experience and expertise into an insightful and supportive guide for everyone living with and seeking to understand this condition. Venis and McCloskey cover topics including: the nature of PPD and how it differs from other perinatal mood disorders how to recognize and cope with the symptoms how to obtain an accurate diagnosis key risk factors and how to minimize them medications and therapies getting the support you need from your partner, family, and friends how PPD can affect your relationship with your partner and your baby nurturing yourself through recovery