Tips for coping with depression/stress/anxiety

[BouncyBabe98]

Hi, I'm usually pretty bad at dealing with stress and I end up turning to things like smoking/alcohol and junk food when feeling stressed/depressed. I don't want to do this during pregnancy however I think I am the type of person that needs something 'naughty' for release and am worried about how I am going to find this during pregnancy. I suffered with severe anxiety/depression during my first pregnancy and think alot of that was due to the massive lifestyle changes I made during the pregnancy I just found it all too much.

I have recently finished 6 months of counselling which I feel has given me some perspective. I don't think I will smoke /drink alot when I become pregnant as I never did that the first time but I just could not find an outlet formy frustration and it was a real struggle to get through the pregnancy.

Any suggestions at all at how I can vent whilst pregnant are much appreciated!!

Ps I am currently taking paroxetine and am going to try and stop taking it soon

[Pommes]

Hi Op, just bumping for you until someone more sensible than me comes along....

Have you got someone you can talk openly and rant to? I think it's great you are writing on Mumsnet, keep doing so during your pregnancy as a way to air your feelings.

[BouncyBabe98]

Hi, I talk to my OH but I think he finds it quite difficult. I'd like to be able to talk to my mum but I've had quite a few bad experiences with that- my sister has severe mental health problems so my mum is already trying to cope plus she has never been a particularly easy person to speak to if u know what I mean. I really want to stop paroxetine but I am worried about the side effects etc

I am not actually pregnant (yet!) btw just trying (for LO number 2)

I'd really like to hear if anyone has any natural success stories/ ways of coping when pregnant without medication?

[ithoughtofitfirst]

I have loads of coping tactics with are 'natural'. thankfully ...as i'm newly pregnant! So.hard to refrain from just buying a pack of fags! But chances are that will make you feel guilty/worse and it's quite a short term solution.

There's this website getselfhelp which has loads of suggestions for coping in crises or distressing days. But they're just for helping you cope not for curing you (which took me a while to figure out). Have you checked them out? Some of them are balls suggestions.... but they prob work for someone else just.not me. And that's ok.

My friend pointed out to.me one day how much of a critical bully i was being to myself and gave me the gem of advice 'don't be an asshole to yourself'.

Some days i catch myself slipping into that like oh i SHOULD be going this or that and then stop and think actually... should i really? So what if you get a mcdonalds drive through to cheer yourself up? At least you're not smoking!

Just be LUSH to yourself as you would a best friens. Run yourself a nice bath, get a trashy mag and a treat, buy yourself a new top, bake a lovely cake (you could make a slightly healthier one), watch loads of crap on netflix. Sometimes i just pile dh and ds in the car, get an ice cream and sit and watch the sunset. so what if i should be getting him ready for bed? No one died.

Sorry if any of this sounds rubbish! Cause it's so individual. But you can have a lot of fun working out what things /what things don't. Even if you just end up getting into holding crystals and burning patchouli essential oil!

Check.out that website! And every time you feel shitty but don't smoke... get yourself a treat!

[BouncyBabe98]

No none of it is rubbish, thanks so much for the advice :)