POST NATAL DEPRESSION IS REAL! (Post-Natal Depression)

Member Name: bod1

Product:	Post-Natal Depression
Date:	25/10/09 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: you can get help

Disadvantages: admitting you have it

After 7 months of being in denial after the birth of my daughter, i finally went to see the doctor who diagnosed me as having post natal depression.

I probably like many other people did'nt really believe in depression as an illness and just thought that it was people feeling sorry for themselves and that they ought to pull themselves together and get on with it.

How wrong was I? Prior to my daughter I had always been a very positive person and liked to have a laugh and try to look on the bright side of things even when they were going wrong.
After she was born I put my irritability, tiredness and lack of enthusiasm down to having next to no sleep and a whole new little person to look after

But as time went by things were getting worse not better. I used to wake up in the morning and be frightened to face the day. I did'nt care about myself, just having a shower was a major effort. I could'nt be bothered to eat and I had a constantly fuzzy feeling in my head, like a fog that would'nt go away. My concentration was zero and I would find myself staring into space. I felt like I was doing everything in slow motion and was set on auto pilot. I was having 4-5 anxiety attacks each day.

But the thing that worried me enough to go and get help was my temper. I would fly at my husband for the slightest thing. It would come out of nowhere but immediately afterwards I would feel so horrible for being so nasty. I just did'nt feel in control of myself anymore.

Strangely though going through all of this I always managed to look after my daughter. Her needs were paramount and as long as she was looked after I did'nt care about anything else. I amazingly hid my feelings from her and tried to always be happy around her and other people. It was only my poor husband who knew what I was really going through. He was and is my rock!

So I was put onto anti depressants. I did'nt want to go down that road but I'M SOOOOOO GLAD I DID!! I was on them for 9 months and am nearly back to my old self but i know i could'nt have done it by myself.
I would urge anyone who has any of these feelings to go and get help and not feel ashamed. Its not your fault and is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, so i was told by my doctor.

I'm not saying that anti depressants will be right for everyone but in my case closely monitored they really helped.

Summary: 7 mths of denial and finally i got help