A local friend of mine has just told me she's been diagnosed with PND by the GP earlier this week. I haven't known her for that long (about 18 months) but her closest friends live hundreds of miles away. I am at a complete loss to know how to support her. She has a DS who is 2.5 and a DD who is 5 months. She is terrible at accepting help and the kind of person who apologises for herself the whole time. She feels guilty because on a paper she has a good life (enough money, nice house, children healthy etc) but of course PND doesn't care about that. She texted to say she cried every 30 mins yesterday . Her parents and DH don't want her to take ADs.
I have obviously told her that if there's anything I can do then she mustn't hesitate to ask (and I really mean it) but I know that she just won't ask. I am thinking of leaving her weekly tubs of spag bol etc on her doorstep just so that she doesn't have to cook sometimes. Is this a good idea?!
I don't know if it would be unhelpful to insist on a playdate once a week - she has said that she's exhausted with putting on a positive face and I can imagine she might actually find a playdate more stressful than relaxing. Or perhaps this would help?
If you have had PND and are now recovered, in retrospect what support from friends would have been most useful at the time?
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Antenatal/postnatal depression
Friend with PND - how best to support her?
7 replies
Wigeon · 10/12/2011 11:42
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