Can't stop worrying about social services

[memoo]

I have just spent a few weeks in hospital due to PND and anxiety.

Although I still have a way to go I am so much better than I was and really on the road to recovery.

DH has been able to go back to work and I am managing the DC just fine.

When I came out of hospital my CPN briefly mentioned asking SS for help if I found I was struggling with the dc and now I'm terrified that someone is going to report me to ss.

I know this fear is irrational but I just can't make it go away

Nobody has ever said anything negative about my ability to look after the dc but I'm so worried that someone is going to start pointing the finger

I work on a psych unit and in the community also. Honestly you have NOTHING to worry about. Lots of our clients get help and support from SS. Very very few are child protection cases. And neither is yours. He or she just wants to offer you some extra help but you don't have to take it.

Having recovered from v. severe pnd that turned into clinical depression I can sympathise.

I too was petrified of the very thought of SS but still managed to pull through and now 7 years on am getting through it.

If you still feel a little overwhelmed, depending on how old DC is, talk to your health visitor. I ended up being referred to the Sure Start scheme - which turned out to be a great help. Parenting tips, lots of mums / dads in the same boat and a chance to be rid of the DD and DH for an hour or so and just talk through issues and not feel different.

The important thing is not to let this overshadow your recovery. Talk through your fears with your CPN - I'm sure they'll be able to put your mind at rest.

Hang on in there and good luck with your recovery.

They are there to help you. If you have nothing to hide and you do not!!! then you have nothing to worry about!!

memoo - stop worrying please. I have 30 years experience as a social worker and team manager and I can assure you that the first duty of a social worker is to support families in difficulties, NOT to try to remove babies from mothers who are recovering from PND. Your cpn was I am sure thinking of social services posssibly being able to offer you some support and this is a world away from "reporting" you.

I know lots of people think social workers are just wanting to remove children but this is NOT the case............so as someone else has said, talk about your worries with you cpn.

Sounds like some CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy) - does your cpn know anything about this - some of them do. It is quite an easy therapy - it involves learning to stop thinking negatively and this changes the way you feel and behave and makes you feel better rather than worse.

There are loads of books on CBT on Amazon reasonably priced so maybe you could have a look.

Enjoy your baby and travel along that recovery path - there may be a few bumps on the path but you will get there - sending best wishes.

Thank you so much for all your replies.

I don't know why I have such negative ideas about SS, I guess we only ever tend to hear about them taking children away from their parents, we rarely hear about the work they do that helps families stay together.

Negative thinking is a HUGE problem for me. I get these little thoughts in my mind and they seem to just spiral out of control until I am consumed with anxiety.

My CPN has refered me for CBT but there is a waiting list atm, he thinks it will be a huge help to me