Pull up a chair, stop feeling like the crappest parent in the world - you aren't, I promise.
Hang on....get yourself a cup of tea. Relax for a couple of minutes. If you are here, on the PND board, 'relaxing' is probably something of an alien concept. It's what we would do before we had babies. Remember?
You might be feeling all sorts. Worried to see a doctor? Avoiding your HV? Up and down like a yo-yo? Frightened to speak up in fear of prejudice?
We can help. We did so in the past, we will continue so that every parent suffering PND or any other mental illness gets support, and encouragement, and isn't made to feel isolated and terrified.
It is all NATURAL. It is all ACCEPTABLE. You can come here and say what you like. We want to hear from you, please. We have a myriad of personalities to help you - people you might know from other threads and you'd think 'no way did they have PND'. It's CUREABLE!
Not just PND - any kind of depression. Not always cureable, but much easier to deal with when you have support and friendship and someone to compare notes with. If you need help, we are here for you.
I'm looking forward so much to chatting with you. xxxxxxx
I'd just like to say that I had really bad PND after YS, it was crappy and horrid, BUT, with the help of a very supportive Health visitor, I got through. have a heart, it will get better xxx
I suffered really bad after both my girls, and am still having treatment now. Not for PND just depression, which had brough up other things such as anxiety, low self asteem, low self worth etc etc, im working on all aspects of my life but some days it is really really hard. I didnt use the PND page on the other site but i think i will now were over here, its an extra bit of help talking to people who are going through it or have been through it because then yu dont feel like such a terrible person and every little helps.
Super post MOT
ursh x
Thanks for doing this jacs!
Well, the old place helped me out of the mire; this is the least I can do. I hope to emulate those who, in honesty, saved my life a few years ago - not sure I'm good enough to walk in their shoes, but I'll certainly try.
Tupperware, and Miss Poppins - thank you for your lovely, honest posts. For a mum who is floundering and doesn't know what to think, just knowing that there are more of us, just like her, out there in cyberspace, can be an enormous help. It certainly was for me. It gave me the confidence I needed to air my thoughts, and seek help.
It might be PND, it might be depression (i.e. depression not associated with having your baby), or any form of mental illness. You are welcome here. Come and chat. Please.
lovely post Jacs - thank you so much for the warm welcome.
Still up and down, and back on the meds now, (having taken myself off them last year).
So it's not PND it's common or garden depression, and frankly I feel rubbish at the moment. : ) it's just all so hard to get my head around and open that box of treasures.
will post more later maybe start a new thread
ttfn x
I have been off meds for a year, and to be honest, I am facing my first 'challenge', I am having hassles at home and work, and this time of year affects me a bit too. I have got a 'sad' light, which I use for 1/2 hour morning and evening (tho it annoys OH, says its too bright - d'oh thats the point!!).
I had a really great counsellor, and she made me write a diary of good and bad days so that I can now look back and see that even when I was on the meds there were good and bad, and that I came off the meds and was still able to cope with the bad days, which gives me the inner strength to know I can cope with all of this pile of poop I am facing right now.
Take heart, you can get over it, its hard, thats true, but it can be done.
I must say, I think the mood diary - though it all sounded terribly tedious at the time - was probably the best tool I had. God, some days you just look at it and want to throw it in the bin, but even if you just write that, you've written something, and it will still mean something to you when you read it back. I don't know about you, but I can read something like 'Argh!' and I will remember EXACTLY what was going on in my life at the time, I just get transported back there.
Of course, like with most things, the anally retentive side of me developed my diary into a complete list of - what sort of weather it was, whether I'd spent time outside, what I'd eaten, how much sleep I'd had, what sort of mood others in the family were in. I started trying to analyse all this information by way of spreadsheets and charts to try and work out whether certain combinations of things made things better or worse. At that point, my counsellor put her head in her hands and started giving me the 'control freak' lecture....
SH, sorry to hear you are down again sweetheart. Look, start a new thread - to be honest, I think everyone should feel free to start their own thread, for whatever issue is affecting them at the time. That way, nothing gets lost amongst great long threads that go off at tangents - by having your own thread for an issue, it's easier to get help quicker, IYSWIM. Agree? You too, Tupperware - do please feel free to start a thread about your current challenge (if you feel happy talking about it).
Sending you both massseeeeeve hugs. You know, like this... >
I found the old site when I did a search for PND, at the time I thought I was going mad, OH thought I was just going mad and was out of his depth and couldn't cope with my moods. the support I received from people on this site gave me the courage to seek help from my hv, they made me realise that I wasn't a bad mother, and now even though I have times when Im so low I can barely scrap myself off the ground on average things are so much better, life at home is so much better, I feared having to take meds and having spoken to the hv, I dont need them, Im getting the support from her and OH is alot better. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't of found the site, ive cried and with the help of so many of you ive laughed.
I've learned Im not mad, im just a mum, that doesn't mean ive to be superwoman 24/7.
I've already said on this site that I am bipolar. It's very common for bipolar to rear its head after having a baby. It's also often misdiagnosed as depression (not just after a baby). One of these days when I have a bit of time then maybe I could put a post in here somewhere just to make people aware of what to look for.
Bipolar is not treated in the same way as depression, in fact treating it the same way can make it worse, that is why it is important to recognise it and get the right diagnosis.
Please don't think I'm obsessed by it, far from that ! But with up to 7% of the population suffering from it, many undiagnosed and often in the post partum period then I think it is worth mentioning it.
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