Just as there is post-partum depression, you may also experience Post Adoption Depression (PADS).

Your life has been a flurry of emotions during your adoption journey. Hope, relief, frustration, waiting, excitement, not to mention adding another person to your family. Just because you have not had the hormone fluctuation that giving birth causes to your body, does not mean that you haven’t had your share of emotional fluctuation.

You have been given a child that you are supposed to love her as your own, but is this connection always instant? NO! There are huge adjustments to make for both you and the child. Although you have had visits, that is not the same as every day life. Your schedules are now different, your child may begin “testing” you with different behaviors that you hadn’t seen before. Your fantasy and reality have surely collided.

The symptoms of PADS and the symptoms of post-partum are quite similar.

Feeling depressed or particularly irritable for most of the day, every day.
Diminished interest in activities that used to be enjoyable.
Significant weight loss or gain, and/or a change in appetite.
Changes in sleep pattern.
Noticeable increase or decrease in motor activity (others notice that you’re slower or more agitated than usual).
A general feeling of fatigue low energy day after day.
Feeling worthless or excessively guilty on a regular basis.
Indecisiveness, or an impaired ability to think or concentrate every day.
Suicidal thoughts.
Do not be afraid to ask for help from your adoption worker, or from friends or family. The only way you can deal with this, is by getting help. Counseling and medication will help to alleviate some of the symptoms.

Do not feel guilty about your feelings. Plenty of other people have them. If your friends and family do not understand the changes that you are going through, or what it’s like to parent a special needs child, they could actually contribute to your depression.

Running a child to therapists, psychiatrists, doctor visits, social worker appointments and visits with a birth family are exhausting. You need time to adjust, just as you would if had given birth.

To find support visit :

Adoption.com forums

Post Adoption Yahoo group