A tired mother holding her newborn baby in her arms at home

Postpartum Psychosis: Signs and Where to Get Help

October 21, 2026 Women

Postpartum Psychosis: Know the Signs and Get Help

Having a baby can bring many changes. It’s common to feel tired, worried, or overwhelmed at times. But sudden changes in a person’s thoughts or behavior may be signs of postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious illness. Postpartum psychosis is different from postpartum depression.

Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency. Getting help quickly can protect the person who gave birth, the baby, and others. With treatment and support, recovery is possible.

What is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that begins after a baby is born. It can affect a parent’s mood and ability to manage daily life.

Signs may include:

Feeling sad, empty, worried, or hopeless
Feeling guilty or like a bad parent
Losing interest in things that once brought joy
Having little energy
Eating or sleeping much more or less than usual
Having trouble focusing or making decisions
Having trouble feeling close to the baby
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

Did you know?

A person with postpartum depression typically stays in touch with reality. They know where they are and understand what is happening around them. However, postpartum depression is still a serious condition that needs prompt care. A health care provider can help with counseling, medicine, or both.

What is Postpartum Psychosis?

Postpartum psychosis affects the way a person thinks and understands what is real. Symptoms often begin suddenly, usually during the first two weeks after birth, but they can also begin later.

Signs may include:

Hearing or seeing things that others do not
Strongly believing things that are not true
Feeling very confused or unable to communicate clearly
Feeling watched, followed, or unsafe for no clear reason
Having very fast thoughts or speech
Feeling unusually excited, powerful, restless, or full of energy
Having quick and extreme mood changes
Sleeping very little or feeling no need to sleep

A person with postpartum psychosis may not realize that something is wrong. Their words or actions may not make sense to others. Postpartum psychosis requires emergency care and generally requires treatment in a hospital. Treatment may include medicine and other therapies recommended by a medical team.
Most people with postpartum psychosis do not harm themselves or anyone else. Still, psychosis can affect judgment and make it difficult to recognize danger. If postpartum psychosis may be happening, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room – even if the person does not think they need help.

Why Immediate Help Matters

Thoughts of suicide or harming oneself or the baby need immediate help.
Call or text 988 for crisis support. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

How are Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis Different?

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Psychosis

Both are real health conditions.
Neither condition is the parent’s fault, and neither means someone is a bad parent.

Remember!

Who Can Develop Postpartum Psychosis?

Postpartum psychosis affects 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 people who have recently given birth.

The risk may be higher for someone who has bipolar disorder, has experienced psychosis before, or has a family history of these conditions. However, postpartum psychosis can happen even when there is no known mental health history. Families should never blame themselves or the person experiencing the illness.

If you notice signs of postpartum psychosis call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. Do not leave the person alone. Ask another trusted adult to care for the baby while help is being arranged.
Do not wait to see whether the symptoms go away on their own.

How Loved Ones Can Help

Family members and friends may notice the warning signs before the parent does. If something does not seem right, trust your concern and act quickly.

Stay calm and use short, simple sentences.
Do not argue about what the person believes, sees, or hears.
Stay with the parent until help arrives.
Ask another trusted adult to care for the baby.
Call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Tell the medical team that the person recently gave birth and may have postpartum psychosis.

Free Support is Available

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988, or use the online chat at 988lifeline.org. Support is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. Click here to learn more:

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). This free, confidential hotline is available 24 hours a day in English and Spanish. Interpreters are available in many other languages. Partners and family members may call, too. Trained counselors can listen and connect families with local care. Click here to learn more:

Postpartum Support International HelpLine

Call 1-800-944-4773 or text HELP to 800-944-4773 for support in English. For Spanish, text 971-203-7773. This HelpLine offers information and connections to local resources, but it is not an emergency line. Click here to learn more:

PSI also offers a free online support group for people recovering from postpartum psychosis. This group is for people who are no longer experiencing active psychosis.
Click here to learn more:

A Final Note

You can also talk with your WIC staff, doctor, midwife, or another trusted health care provider. WIC staff can listen without judgment and help connect your family with support. If postpartum psychosis may be happening, get emergency care first.

Postpartum psychosis is serious, but it’s also treatable. Getting help quickly is an act of care for the parent, the baby, and the whole family.

REFERENCES:

Friedman, S. H., Reed, E., & Ross, N. E. (2023). Postpartum psychosis. Current Psychiatry Reports, 25(2), 65–72.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01406-4

National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Perinatal Depression.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/perinatal-depression

Postpartum Support International. (n.d.). Perinatal/Postpartum Psychosis Help.
https://postpartum.net/get-help/postpartum-psychosis-help/

United States Department of Health & Human Services. Office on Women’s Health. (2023, October 17). Postpartum depression.
https://womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/postpartum-depression

Author: Amanda Hojnacki