Not Sure Whether to go down Anti-Depressants Route??

[CDMforever]

I have 3 DCs one is a teenager the other two are 2 and 3. I've been finding it incredibly difficult to cope with the little ones. The youngest is very clingy to the point of where I can't leave the room without him screaming and then making himself sick. I often feel smothered, suffocated and very very low. I find it hard to get any joy from my children and this makes me feel even worse as I know I shouldn't feel like this. I am very lucky to have 3 healthy children but can't seem to be able to enjoy them at the moment.
My DH is supportive and will give me time on my own but somehow this isn't enough. I have been crying alot lately and can't seem to see an end in sight. I know the toddler years are difficult but surely it shouldn't be this bad.
I am usually a very positive, cheery person and find feeling like this bloody awful. I am now considering talking to my GP about going on anti-depressants for a short period of time. Would he prescribe them to me if I asked or would he say lets see how things go?
Going down the drugs route is completely new tto me and does scare a little to be honest, but as I've tried talking to family aand friends already and nothings really changed I don't really see any other option.

You have made a good point. If things are not likely to improve for the moment, and you are stuck in a cycle of negative feelings so you are unable to make any changes, then medication could be a good short term solution, and by short term I mean for as long as you need it really.

I am struggling too atm and my anxiety is holding me back from making the changes I need to make in order to get better - I feel stuck. I would ask my GP for anti anxiety medication (which I have to take in any case for things like family holidays) but tbh I am an ex-heroin addict and I know that I may enjoy any sedative medication a lot bit too much. But... as my addiction is on my medical record I am to ambarrassed to ask

I can't speak for your GP but I think as you have tried other avenues and are 'stuck' in a negative cycle, I don't see why they wouldn't prescribe.

If you want help with making the decision to take anti depressants or not you could ask your health visitor's opinon whether she thinks you need them. It might be that your aren't clinically depressed, but you just need a bit of support.

Some GPs give out anti depressants like smarties. Even with a good GP it can be hard to assess whether someone needs anti depressants in a space of five minutes.

Or if you don't want to go down the medication route you could try this website.

www.livinglifetothefull.com

I wouldn't recommend it from personal experience.

But there is something to be said for having anti depressive medication in your house and not taking it because you feel in control of it.

You can choose not to take it and to be more proactive with negative feelings rather than being medicated (which I just hated.)

I couldn't function without my AD's. They make me a better person and a better mother/wife. Sometimes a little chemical tweaking makes a huge difference.

After reading jabberwocky's post I should mention that I am ridiculously stubborn.

I don't particularly like getting help from other people and so the meds to me amounted to the same thing.

If you're anything like me then go for it... but weigh up your options carefully.

Thanks all for advice. Just spoke to my mother who seemed very anti anti-depressants IFYSWIM! My DH is supportive of whatever I think I need.
My 3 yo DS start nursery 5 afternoons a week this coming week so maybe that will have an impact. If it doesn't I think I will talk to my HV who is usually pretty good tho I've never till now talked about depression (can you still get PND when your kids are 12, 3 and 2?)
When I've got a bit more time I'll take a look at the Living Life to the Full website. I'm usually very positive about self-help and Cognitive Therapies etc but this time I don't seem to be able to find the energy to be positive about anything.

My mother is the same. I just don't even talk to her about it anymore. She doesn't get it at all and maybe it's just her generation but I know now that I have to do what is right for me and my family and not worry about what she may think about it.

Jabberwocky, you're right but despite being 41 I can still be influenced/manipulated by my mother. Very sad!

I know! I'm 45 and struggle with it as well. Just got into a little tiff with mine yesterday

What a difference a day makes!!
Woke up feeling alot more positive today so decided to put the drugs option on the back burner for now.
Had a long chat with a lovely friend who went through a similar thing and it felt so good talking to someone who understands.
Still think I might give the HV a call to discuss coping strategies with the clingy little un.
Sorry you had a tiff with your mum jabberwocky. Whenever I have one with my mum its bloody awful and I always feel like the bad guy no matter whats been said!
Regarding my "feelings of despair", I'm going to take one day at a time, if I can, and if I need to go on the happy pills then so be it.