Defeat Postpartum Depression | Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum Psychosis, Postpartum OCD

Arielle Wozniak
  • 4.9 (78)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Semiweekly

You love your baby but this isn’t what you expected. If you’re battling postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts, or insomnia, you’re not alone. I’m Arielle, Christian mental health coach and mom of three, here to help you discover God’s plan for healing your mind and emotions after baby. What to do next: → Learn more about coaching and support at ariellewozniak.com → Text me directly at 404.682.3542 — yes, I really read and respond → Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode → If this podcast helps you, share it with a mama friend who needs some light in the darkness

  1. 6d ago

    When You Don’t Feel God: Faith, Doubt & Intrusive Thoughts Postpartum

    There was a point in my postpartum experience where I wasn’t just questioning my thoughts. I was questioning everything. I questioned whether I was really a Christian. Whether I had ever actually been saved. Whether Christianity itself was true. Why God was allowing me to suffer. Why He wasn’t healing me. Why I could open my Bible and feel absolutely nothing. Today we’re talking about Step 5 of The Unafraid Method: ANCHOR. In this episode, I’m sharing one of the deepest parts of my own story and what it looked like when postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts started affecting my faith too. We talk about: Religious intrusive thoughts and the fear of committing the unforgivable sinQuestioning whether I was ever really savedWatching The Case for Christ because I was questioning what I believedWondering why God would allow me to suffer instead of healing meReading the Bible and feeling nothingUsing feelings as proof of whether God was closeThe moment I looked in the mirror and said, “God, if You’re real, I need You to do something.”The difference between faith and certaintyHow prayer and Scripture can sometimes become part of certainty-seekingWhat it means to stay anchored when you don’t understand what God is doingWhy being anchored doesn’t mean never questioning, doubting, or feeling afraidOne of the biggest things I had to learn was this: God’s presence is not dependent on my ability to feel it. Being anchored didn’t mean I always felt sure. Sometimes it simply meant continuing to reach for God when I didn’t feel sure at all. Peace After Postpartum officially launches October 5th. If you want to hear more when we open, text PEACE to 404-692-3754. Next up in The Unafraid Method: RECLAIM.

  2. Aug 31

    You Need People Who Get It: The Kind of Support That Actually Helps When You’re Spiraling

    One of the hardest parts of postpartum intrusive thoughts is how isolating they can feel. You may have people who love you deeply and still feel like no one fully understands what it’s like to be scared of your own mind. Today we’re talking about Step 4 of The Unafraid Method: CONNECT. In this episode, I’m sharing why community was such an important part of my own story, why being understood can feel so different from simply being loved, and how the people around you can support you without accidentally becoming part of the reassurance cycle. We talk about: Why shame and intrusive thoughts can feel so isolatingThe difference between people who love you and people who truly understand the experienceWhy hearing “me too” can be so powerfulHow community can help you notice progress you may miss on your ownThe difference between support and reassuranceWhat helpful support from a spouse, friend, or family member can actually sound likeHow to communicate what you need when you’re spiralingWhy reassurance can bring temporary relief but keep you coming back for more certaintyWhere professional support fits into a larger support systemA simple way to identify the gaps in your own support circleConnection isn’t about finding people who will prove every fear wrong. It’s about having people who can be present, understand what you’re walking through, and help you stay connected to your life when fear gets loud. I also share why community is such a big part of Peace After Postpartum, my 90-day group program + community for moms navigating intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD postpartum. If you want more information, text PEACE to 404-692-3754. 🤍 Next up in The Unafraid Method: ANCHOR.

  3. Aug 29

    How to Respond When a Scary Intrusive Thought Shows Up

    You know you’re spiraling. You know Googling, checking, analyzing, and asking for reassurance aren’t giving you lasting relief. But then comes the question: What am I actually supposed to do when the intrusive thought shows up? Today we’re moving into Step 3 of The Unafraid Method: RESPOND. In this episode, I’m walking through a simple framework you can use to start creating space between the scary thought and what you do next: Notice → Name → Don’t Solve → Return We talk about: Why trying to get rid of the thought can keep you stuckHow to notice the thought without immediately entering the debateNaming the pattern instead of analyzing the contentWhy “this one is different” is such a powerful trapLetting a question exist without needing to solve itReturning to your actual life even when anxiety is still presentHow reassurance, prayer, Scripture, and “good thoughts” can sometimes become part of the certainty-seeking cycleThe difference between trust and certaintyWhy progress does not mean responding perfectly every single timeA simple exercise to practice responding differently in one real-life situationThe goal is not to make every intrusive thought disappear. It’s to stop treating every scary thought like a question that has to be answered before you’re allowed to keep living. I also share more about Peace After Postpartum, my 90-day group program + community for moms navigating intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD. If you want the founding member details, text PEACE to 404-692-3754 by August 31st. 🤍 Next up in The Unafraid Method: CONNECT.

  4. Aug 27

    The Things You’re Doing to Feel Safe That May Be Keeping You Stuck in the Intrusive Thought Spiral

    You have the scary thought. Then comes the Googling. The checking. The analyzing. The reassurance. The avoiding. The replaying. And for a little while, you might actually feel better. So why does the fear keep coming back? Today we’re diving into Step 2 of The Unafraid Method: RECOGNIZE. In this episode, we’re talking about the things you may be doing after an intrusive thought because they make you feel safer in the moment, but can become part of the cycle that keeps pulling you back into fear. We’ll talk about: Why reassurance can feel so good but never seem to lastThe difference between useful research and Googling for certaintyChecking your feelings, reactions, body sensations, and memoriesAvoidance and how fear can slowly start making your decisionsSneaky mental patterns like reviewing, analyzing, testing, and trying to prove a thought wrongHow prayer can sometimes become part of certainty-seeking without us realizing itHow to start recognizing your own patterns without judging yourselfA simple exercise to identify what you reach for when fear shows upI also answer a question I’ve been getting about how far postpartum you can be and still join Peace After Postpartum. If these struggles began during your postpartum season and you’re still actively navigating them, I don’t want you to automatically assume you’re “too far postpartum” for this to be relevant. Peace After Postpartum is my 90-day group program + community for moms navigating intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD. If you want the founding member details, text PEACE to 404-692-3754 by August 31st. 🤍 Next up: RESPOND — what do you actually do when the scary thought shows up?

  5. Aug 26

    What’s Actually Happening When a Scary Intrusive Thought Sends You Spiraling — and Why You Can’t Stop Analyzing It

    If you’ve ever had a scary intrusive thought postpartum and immediately found yourself analyzing it, checking how you feel, Googling, asking for reassurance, or wondering what it means about you, this episode is for you. Today we’re diving into the first step of The Unafraid Method: UNDERSTAND. I’m breaking down what’s actually happening when a scary intrusive thought shows up, your brain assigns meaning to it, anxiety spikes, and suddenly you feel like you have to figure it out right now. In this episode, we talk about: Why intrusive thoughts can feel like evidence about who you areThe cycle of intrusion → meaning/alarm → distress → response → temporary reliefWhy Googling, checking, reassurance, avoidance, and mental reviewing can keep the spiral goingWhy anxiety, sensations, and emotional reactions can become part of what you start analyzingWhy thoughts that hit your deepest values can feel especially powerfulThe constant need for certainty underneath so many OCD-type fearsWhy “What if this time is different?” can keep restarting the cycleA simple way to map one recent spiral without trying to solve the thoughtThe goal isn’t to never have another intrusive thought. It’s to move from: “What is wrong with me?” to: “I recognize what’s happening here.” I also share an update on Peace After Postpartum, my new 90-day group program + community for postpartum moms navigating intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD. If you want details about becoming a founding member, text PEACE to 404-692-3754 by August 31st. 🤍 Tomorrow we’re moving into Step 2 of The Unafraid Method: RECOGNIZE, where we’ll talk about the things you may be doing to feel safe that could actually be keeping you stuck in the spiral.

  6. Aug 26

    The 7-Step Process I Wish I Had When I Was Terrified of My Own Thoughts Postpartum

    If you’ve ever had a scary thought postpartum and immediately wondered, “What does this mean about me?” this episode is for you. In this episode, I’m sharing the 7-step process I wish I had when I was in the thick of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD. We’ll talk about: Why the thought itself isn’t always what keeps the spiral goingHow Googling, checking, analyzing, reassurance, and avoidance can keep fear aliveThe difference between understanding what’s happening and actually knowing how to respondWhy support and community matter so much when this feels isolatingHow faith in Jesus fits into the process without becoming another place to chase certaintyWhy “getting better” does not have to mean never having another scary thoughtThe full Unafraid Method: Understand → Recognize → Respond → Connect → Anchor → Reclaim → SustainI also share why, after years of coaching women 1:1, I’m creating something new for postpartum moms navigating intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD. Peace After Postpartum is a 90-day group program + community built around The Unafraid Method, with weekly coaching, practical support, and faith woven throughout. If you’re listening before August 31st and want details about becoming one of the founding members, text PEACE to 404-692-3754. And come back tomorrow because I’m breaking down Step 1 of The Unafraid Method: UNDERSTAND.

  7. 09/25/2025

    109: To Take Medication or Not To Take Medication?

    The decision to take meds or not to take meds is one that can cause a ton of turmoil for many of us. In this episode, I talk through the decision making process by sharing my own story and how I came to the decision of taking medication, my thoughts about medication, my hesitations, and my experience with medication. I initially thought meds would be the magic pill to solve all my problems…spoiler alert, it wasn’t. Feeling stuck and not sure what to do next, schedule a free 1:1 coaching call to help you move forward: ariellewozniak.com/breakthrough Making a decision about medication, get the free guide: https://ariellewozniak.com/medication-guide-form  As always, feel free to text me if you ever want to connect: 404-692-3754 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for professional medical advice.

  8. 08/20/2025

    108: Trials That Bring Us to Our Knees (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

    In today’s episode, I share the surprising lesson I learned from a story in Scripture about a leader whose life was extended by God, but whose comfort led to pride and downfall. You’ll see why trials can actually be the very thing that brings us closer to the Lord, and how falling to your knees in hard seasons might be the greatest gift you’ll ever receive. Feeling stuck and not sure what to do next, schedule a free 1:1 coaching call to help you move forward: ariellewozniak.com/breakthrough As always, feel free to text me if you ever want to connect: 404-692-3754 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for professional medical advice.

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About

You love your baby but this isn’t what you expected. If you’re battling postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts, or insomnia, you’re not alone. I’m Arielle, Christian mental health coach and mom of three, here to help you discover God’s plan for healing your mind and emotions after baby. What to do next: → Learn more about coaching and support at ariellewozniak.com → Text me directly at 404.682.3542 — yes, I really read and respond → Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode → If this podcast helps you, share it with a mama friend who needs some light in the darkness

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