Post-op blues, or depression after surgery, is a common phenomenon that can affect your emotional regularity after surgery. It can cause anxiety, restlessness, depression, irritability, and other mood changes. It’s an often overlooked aspect of the surgery process that can have a large impact on recovery.
Let’s talk about how to survive these feelings–because it can often feel like they’ll never end. Before we dive into coping strategies, we’ll first answer two of the most common questions people have about post-surgery depression—how normal it is, and how long it tends to last.
Tayler Goectau, a disability advocate, uses her social media platform (@distaaybled on Instagram) to educate and empower others on their journey with chronic illness and disability. She created this guide to help others navigate some of the postoperative challenges that can come with recovering from surgery.
Is it normal to be depressed after surgery?
Depending on the type of surgery, it can indeed be normal to be depressed afterward. This is because of the complex relationships between stress, inflammation, pain, and cognitive impairment occurring before, during, and after surgery.
A 2023 study found that patients undergoing surgeries likely to improve quality of life–like hip replacements–are less likely to develop postoperative depression within a year after surgery. In contrast, surgeries that are associated with higher amounts of postoperative pain tend to carry a greater risk of depressive symptoms, as pain itself has long been linked to depression.
How long does post-surgery depression last?
Post-surgery depression typically lasts a few weeks to several months, but duration can vary based on the individual and their circumstance.
While 74% of patients experience depressive feelings in the time after surgery, most see symptoms improve within weeks. However, about 10% may continue experiencing significant depressive symptoms for up to 18 months. If symptoms do not improve or you have thoughts or feelings of extreme hopelessness or self-harm, please seek medical attention.
Coping strategies for depression after surgery
1. Lean on your support network
Having a solid support system you trust to confide in about everything you’re feeling can be a game changer in how you cope. Trustworthy people who can help pull you out of a tough spot and support positive energy in your healing space can reduce feelings of loneliness. This might include a significant other, a close friend, family members, or a therapist.
Building a network of people you can lean on—whether for emotional support, practical help, or simply distraction—can make the recovery process feel much less isolating and overwhelming.
2. Stay on top of pain management
A large contributing factor to postoperative mental health recovery is pain control. It’s known that having higher or uncontrolled pain is a risk factor for anxiety and depression, even in the acute recovery stage.
Keeping up with your medication schedule and staying on top of your pain can help cope with depression and anxiety during your recovery. It can be difficult to keep track, so using a medication tracking app like Guava can make it easy to make sure you’re getting the medications you need. You can even share your profile with a trusted support person and allow them to log medications for you.
3. Stay busy with distractions
Do simple, easy crafts like coloring, crocheting, or drawing that don’t require too much effort. You can also opt for activities like word searches or puzzles that don’t have a set time commitment. Watch a comfort show or work through the list of movies you've always wanted to see.
If you need to fill your social battery but don’t have enough energy to leave your house, you can chat with friends on the phone or play online games. Anything that keeps your mind busy and distracts you from spiraling thoughts is a win.
4. Change up your scenery
We often get set up for a few weeks of recovery in one location, but this can hinder our mental recovery too. Taking at least a few minutes a day to purposely go to a different space can also switch up your mindset. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, it can just be the couch instead of your bed, but if you’re feeling up for it, a walk outside is so good for the brain!
5. Practice self-care
When we’re in survival mode things like self-care are low on our priority list. However, taking 5-10 minutes to do a self-care task can boost your self-esteem when you might be feeling really down on yourself. A sheet face mask, a no-rinse shampoo cap, or plucking your eyebrows in bed can be the little oomph you need!
6. Meditate
Meditation can be really helpful for some people when managing unknown emotional irregularities like depression and anxiety. There are many different types of guided meditations online to pick from. Even if you’ve never tried it, who knows, it may be helpful! Using Guava to track if meditation is positively affecting your recovery symptoms can help you adjust and know what works for the future!
7. Process your feelings
Allowing yourself to process what you just went through is important because it was probably traumatic. Taking the time to feel what is demanding to be felt can be healing in itself and will ultimately help you in the long run. It's not supposed to feel comfortable or easy, but you are strong and will get through this.
