Adoption Grief vs. Depression: Understanding the Difference and When to Seek Help in Missouri

By Nicole Cunningham

Placing your child up for adoption in Missouri and going through your adoption plan, there are many emotions that follow you. Common emotions that come up with this are grief and depression. It is common for you to feel a wide range of different emotions, especially if adoption comes from an unplanned pregnancy. They are hard to understand sometimes. When you know you are doing your best for your child, these emotions can come as a surprise to some birth mothers.

We at Adoption Choices of Missouri want to help you navigate these emotions. We want you to understand why you are feeling this way and help you get support. Support from counseling could be needed from feeling powerful emotions like grief and depression.

Feelings of Grief After Your Adoption Journey

There is a difference between grief and depression. Everyone handles these emotions differently. It can be hard to tell the difference between the two. Grief can come in short moments and in longer moments, depending on the situation that triggers it. Grief is an emotion that is usually triggered by an event, like placing your child for adoption. Small things could trigger it. For example, seeing something that reminds you of what you have gone through or reminds you of your child. With support and time, these triggers can be reduced.

Wondering about what could have been can also lead to grief. It can decrease over time, but it doesn’t stop you from enjoying your life. It won’t always be easy for you to deal with. Having the right support system and help, you could have fewer episodes and be less likely to feel sadness.

Feelings of Depression After Your Adoption Journey

Grief is something that can come out of nowhere and be recurring. Depression is a little more different than that. Depression can be a more serious mental health issue, and it affects all of the different parts of your life. It can make everything seem like too much and become extremely overwhelming. It can make even doing the things you love seem like a burden or a chore. Symptoms of depression can include weight loss, insomnia, prolonged emptiness, and hopelessness. This can affect everyone differently and can present in everyone differently.

Trying to get rid of depression and wait it out does not always work. It can become more destructive than helpful. When depression sinks in, receiving professional help is most important. Adoption Choices of Missouri has professionals that birth mothers like you can reach out to and speak with. Counseling can always be beneficial. Your mental health is important to us, and we would love to help you get the support you may need.

Understanding Your Emotions Post-Adoption

Your mental health is a top priority for Adoption Choices of Missouri . We know that these dark emotions can be hard to talk about. It can be hard to admit that there is something wrong. We don’t want you to be afraid to talk about these emotions. We can get you the counseling that you need. Placing a child for adoption or adopcion de bebes is a difficult situation, and everyone handles it differently.

All birth mothers are able to receive counseling, whether it is one-on-one with a counselor or through a birth mother support group. It is good to talk to others about how you are feeling. A birth mother support group is a great way to talk about your feelings. These women have been through something similar to you. They know how you are feeling and understand those emotions.

If you are unsure about any of these, feel free to reach out to us. We can get you connected with a counselor who can address all of your concerns. Also, we can get you connected with a support group nearby. We can look for adoption agencies near me.

When to Consider Receiving Help from a Professional During Your Adoption Process

Adoption Choices of Missouri understands the difficult situation you are going through. These emotions can accrue anytime during the adoption process, and they can become overwhelming. It is great to try to talk to someone in your support system if you can. If you need more support or professional help, our door is always open. Always feel like you can reach out to us with any concerns that you have and any and all feelings. It doesn’t just have to be feelings of depression and grief. We can assist you with the next steps to help you have better mental health.

Benefits of Counseling After Missouri Adoption

The Benefits of Adoption Counseling After Putting a Baby Up for Adoption in Missouri

September 14, 2023 Adoption Choices of Missouri

The Benefits of Adoption Counseling After Putting a Baby Up for Adoption in Missouri

By Nicole Cunningham

Adoption is an emotionally difficult situation for most birth parents when they place their baby up for adoption, especially if it comes out of an unplanned pregnancy. Although you know you are doing the right thing, it does not always feel that way. For some birth parents, it can cause them anxiety and depression. There are feelings of guilt, grief, and sadness that can all come from placing your baby for adoption. Every situation is different, but that doesn’t take away from the pain that can still come from placing your baby up for adoption. Luckily for you, there are resources that you can use to help you through this process. Adoption Choices of Missouri can offer you counseling after you place your baby for adoption.

What is Adoption Counseling?

Adoption counseling is a service offered to birth parents who have already gone through the adoption process. You have placed your child for adoption and are on the other side of that process. This counseling can help educate families, especially birth mothers, about what to expect.

What is Covered in Adoption Counseling?

There are different topics that take place during the counseling session, such as the emotions you are experiencing. They will ask if you are grieving or feeling regretful. The counselors are concerned if you feel like you did the right thing by placing your child up for adoption. Or if you are feeling any kind of regret. They are trying to figure out exactly how you are feeling and if they need to express those feelings. After going through something as stressful as the adoption process, the counselors are going to try to figure out what direction to go in for the sessions.

Adoption Counseling Benefits and Advantages

For birth mothers, the benefits of adoption counseling will help you figure out the emotions you are experiencing and help you overcome them.

You will be able to have all your questions about the process you experienced placing your child for adoption can be answered by Adoption Choices of Missouri
You can speak with the counselors about feelings of grief, depression, etc., and get professional help to heal those emotions.
You can speak with them about concerns you may have, such as the baby’s life and adoptive family.
Counselors are there to help guide you and show you what the steps of the post-adoption plan look like.

Who Can Receive Adoption Counseling?

Adoption counseling is for the birth parents involved in the adoption in Missouri process. The birth mother and the birth father can receive counseling if needed. For many adoptions, the birth mother tends to experience grief worse.

The counseling is there to support these parents who are involved and help them get to an emotionally sound position. Placing a child for adoption is never an easy situation to be involved in. It is the best situation for many families to help their child have a chance at a better life with their adoptive family.

The Different Types of Adoption Counseling You May Be Unfamiliar With

There are different types of counseling sessions that you can get involved in: one-on-one, support groups, and birth mother retreats.

One-on-one sessions are, as it sounds, sessions that are one-on-one with one of the counselors. They will be able to answer any questions that the birth mother or father may have. It is just between the two of them; therefore, you can ask them anything that you would like. They will be able to answer all the questions that you throw at them.

Support groups are with other birth mothers who have been involved in the adoption process. These birth mothers have gone through the same process as you. Not all of the situations will be the same; every birth mother gives a child up for adoption for different reasons and situations. However, they will all be able to talk with one another about the experiences they are having and the emotions they are going through.

Birth mother retreats are for birth mothers only, and they are, as it sounds, similar to a vacation for birth mothers. They will go and experience the retreat with other birth mothers, try to find time to relax and talk with one another about the adoption process and how they are processing it.

Why is it Important for Birth Parents to Experience Adoption Counseling?

Adoption counseling can help birth parents talk about their emotions. Many birth parents have a hard time talking about their emotions, especially if those emotions are negative. This gives them the opportunity to express themselves without worrying about who is expressing those emotions too. It’s healthy to talk about their feelings and get them off their chests.

Adoption Choices of Missouri is here to help get birth parents connected with a counselor if they choose. Please feel free to reach out to us with any other questions if you are considering adoption for your baby.