Unwanted and unwelcome – what are intrusive thoughts and why do so many new parents have them?
It took Donna a long time to decipher exactly what her intrusive thoughts meant.
She had them before her son was born, but when he arrived the thoughts became much louder.
But because they almost felt normal to her, she didn't know that they were a sign of something bigger.
Sometimes they might feel silly, sometimes they can feel serious and very worrying. They can be a symptom of anxiety. But for a small group of new parents, they could be a sign of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
That’s a big spectrum. So how do you know where your thoughts land, orhow and when to get help?
Mental health clinician Danielle Paltos helps new parents answer those questions all the time. You’ll hear from Danielle and Donna in this episode of Survive & Thrive, and our host Gia talks about her own experience with intrusive thoughts.
Survive & Thrive is a podcast from Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), find it in your favourite podcast app.
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More info on intrusive thoughts
Intrusive thoughts during the transition to parenthood
It’s important that parents know that if they’re having these thoughts, they’re not alone. Learn more about managing intrusive thoughts.
Acknowledgement
PANDA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live and where this podcast is made. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
We recognise the individual and collective contributions of people with a lived and/or living experience of mental health issues, their families, loved ones and supporters.
Each person’s journey is unique and a valued contribution to Australia’s commitment to PANDA's work and mental health systems reform.
It is through listening to and acting on the voices of people with lived experience, that those who provide services, those who fund services, and most importantly, those who use services that we will find the information we need to move towards the mental health system Australia needs.
Every person’s story we hear, every experience shared, helps to develop our understanding of the system that is required to best meet the needs of Australians living with mental health issues, their families, loved ones and supporters.
Credits
Host: Gia Hogarth
PANDA Digital Editor: Serena Ashmore
PANDA Commissioning Editor: Bec Schafer
Deadset Studios Senior Producer: Grace Pashley
Deadset Studios Executive Producer: Rachel Fountain
Sound Design by Krissy Miltiadou
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