Post Natal Depression support

[pinkmama]

Hello
There seem to be a few threads running from people with PND, One of the overriding things seems to be feelings of isolation and loneliness and like we are the only ones who have ever felt like that. Wondered if it would be helpful to anyone if we just had alittle support thread for each other. I find it hard to join in on my post natal thread as they all seem to be coping so well, yet I think I would find it really useful if I could just come to a thread with people who were going through similar things. We could off load, support, prop up and maybe, just maybe make each other smile now and again!

Anyone interested?

and if anyone could think of a more interesting thread title I would be grateful!

[biglipskissinunderthemisteltoe]

hiya pinkmama

im not sure whether ive got PND but just depression which ive had for years (well 14 yrs) but in the last 6 mths it had gone worse.. i do have gud days and bad days.. and yes i do feel lonely at times but maybe thats what i want! but other days i want to be with people - iykwim?

the title is good as its stands out good

How R u?

[pinkmama]

Hi Biglips (good xmas name!). Thats a long time to have depression! Poor you. Whats made it worse in the last 6 months

I am not so bad today, which is why I guess I was brave enough to try to start a thread. Some days its too much to even post on here anonymously. I have 3 kids aged almost 8, 3 3/4 and baby of 18 weeks. After initial euphoria of having her wore off I started to feel quite low and put it down to baby blues, but it got progressively worse.

Part of why I thought this thread might be a good idea is just that feeling of not being the odd one out. For example, yesterday i really started to fear for my sanity as my head wouldnt hold a thought for more than about 30 seconds. I started to feel quite dizzy with it. I ahve always been easily distracted but it was quite phenomenal how quick my thought process was moving and I found it a bit scarey. I couldnt talk to dh for most of the evening because I couldnt keep my thoughts together for long enoug to start a conversation or tell him what I was thinking. Finally managed to explain what was going on to him at bed time and he reassured me that it is classic depression symptom and not something unique to me. It really helped to know that and calmed me down quite a bit. I imagine a lot of the things I experience are quite common. Whilst I appreciate aht everyones expereince is unique and situations are different, and the ways we cope and manage ourselves vary, I suspect there is an awful lot of common ground which when you think you are the only one feeling is quite scarey.

Sorry that seems long, hope it makes sense

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

unknown why ive got depression for the past 14 yrs as i just lived with it till 6 mths ago ti gone abit worse (or since baba was born oct 04 so DP had said)...i remember how i start to get that sinking feeling when i found out my Best friend slept with my BF, after that i was avoiding people even my friend and if i saw them walking on the street, i used to more or less jumped into the hedges!! but its horrible now as if i see them or see new people, in my head im saying "STAY RIGHT THERE AND TALK TO THEM"

im still struggling now but its not as bad as i know that if i stayed in all day with baba, its not fair on her and i feel guilty.. i do enjoy going out to playgroups but that sinking feeling is always there as i can feel it, even now (even though i got a crap cold -sniff!)

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

how long you had yours PND/depression?

as here is my thread

[pinkmama]

Hello biglips. Thanks for the link. Took me a while to wade through all those posts. What a lot of lovely support you have had. So sorry you have suffered for so long. I hope you can get it under control once and for all.

My PND started after birth of dd2 19 weeks ago. Actually thinking about it I was a bit mad during teh pg. Have been with both the girls but not my son which is interesting. Whilst pg I would get really really paraoid and there were occassions i would get up in the middle of the night and bang my head on something to try and stop the horrid thoughts. Guess thats not that normal! It went when I wa about 7 months pg, then after she was born i went slowly downhill.

[DiamondsAreForChristmastoo]

hi pinkmama- I know what you mean about the postnatal thread- everyone is very chatty and happy, and it's nice that way- but I am sure that we all have posted on other threads with other names (I have anyway!) when I have been feeling down. If you feel like a private chat you know how to get in touch- you're not alone x

[DiamondsAreForChristmastoo]

btw- hope you don't mind me posting on your thread.

[pinkmama]

I dont mind you posting on my thread at all! It is nice that post natal group is happy and chatty, i would never want it to be any other way. Its just I would love to keep up with everyone daily, but have such long periods of feeling unhappy and chatty that by time I go back to group it has moved on and i find it hard to catch up. Its rare i can get to computer as much as today, and those threads can move so fast.

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

atm i envy happy people wishing i was happy as them.. i remember when me and DP bought the house 2.8 yrs ago, DP was excited and over the moon but i wasnt but i was happy but didnt really show it at the time

[yULeYSEES]

Hi, hope you don't mind me popping in but just found out one of my closest friend's has PND (again)and feel so sad. Her baby is 8m now but I didn't know,not many do. She told me yesterday morning.
I asked her if she feels guilty when people help her and she said she does. I said would you if you'd broken your back? It's a major illness IMO.
We had a good chat and she said it'd helped ane we're going to keep talking. Her GP has just upped her meds so we'll have to see how it goes? I had mild PND and do suffer from on/off depression so understand that awful feeling

[pinkmama]

Thanks yuleysees. It is interesting how different we view mental illness and physical. Hope your friend starts to feel better soon.

How you doing biglips?

[SnowQueenVictoria]

may i join?

Have just been diagnosed with it this week. For some reason i hadnt realised what was wrong with me the past 7 months.

[waggledancer]

I have mild pnd for the 2nd time. As with last time i suffered i have been in denial for months. Ds2 is now 8mnths and i am just admitting my condition. If it was anyone else i know i would have reassured then that depression is an illness that we don't control but i seem unable to accept this for myself. Have just started taking st johns wort as still don't want pnd on my medical records

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

ive been taking st johns wort for thepast month but its not working for me ...

im ok today as ive done sod all cos of the stinking cold that ive got (sniff)

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

how are U too? PMama

[waggledancer]

Have read that st johns wort takes 2 weeks to 3 months to be effective. Prescription anti depressents also take this long to work. Am keen to feel better for christmas cos am catering for 14 and could be a little stressed

[Cristina7]

I started ADs about 4 weeks ago and they're already working for me. Waggledancer, why are you worried about your medical records showing PND? My DD is 9 months old. I also have a DS 6 y.o. I don't know if it's PND or just depression.

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

crintina - i wasnt sure whether i had PND or depression... but after talking to one of the mumsnetter.. we both agree that it just the depression that ive had for 14 yrs but it had got downhill 3 yrs ago so i just putted up with it BUT i was offered prozac but never took them, since my baba was born 14 mths ago. it had slowly gone worse.. im off to the docs on mon (im full of cold but feeling better today)

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

cristina not crintina

[pinkmama]

Hello everyone. Thanks for joining us Snowqueenvictoria, waggledancer and christina 7.

I know what you mean waggle about treating ourselves differently to how we would treat others going through the same.

Had bad night last night so took self off to bed. I dont think alcohol is a good idea for me at the moment, it makes my head feel even worse. I had odd dreams that dh had affair with a mumsnetter and when I woke up grom it in middle of night i managed to convince myself he was having affair with a friend of mine. In the cold light of day I see how ridiculous it was, but at 3 this morning I was convinced!

[waggledancer]

Don't want pnd on my records cos in my area there is a depression support team and i don't feel ready to be counselled at the moment. Daft as it is i want the meds to solve it without exploring my childhood and psyche.

Hows everyone today?

[deckthehillswithboughsofmummy]

Warning St Johns wort can react with some contraceptive pills and make them ineffective!!!!!

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

im st john worts but on the coil and not the pill... as ive been taking them for a month do i carry on till i finished with them?

[biglipskissinunderthemistletoe]

as its not working as yet

[deckthehillswithboughsofmummy]

Hello all, I am suffering my second bout of PND. Can't take AD's due to thyroid problems and am waiting for a refferal to come through for councelling. I had a bad day today just found myself alternatly shouting at DD (3) and crying. To make matters worse our financial situation is going wrong too DH's company keep messing up his wages. Keep trying to tell GP that i don't think it is just post natal thoug as I haven't felt right since my miscarriage last year. Don't think it helps that DD was born nearl12months to the date from the erpc/laproscopy.