PND followed by depression....advice from "2nd time" sufferers please

[ETsmum]

Hi

Right; in a nutshell. Have a ds who is now 33 monhts. Had PND from pretty much the day I had him til around his 1st b'day (he was a very much wanted baby I hasten to add.)

Last Oct had to go back to work p/t as bought additional property and the depression seems to have returned on an off since then. I seem to be ablr to be fine for a few days, then have a pretty bad day or 2, followed by a few days of feeling just low....

Had ad's with my PND, currently on Eve primrose oil and trying things like reiki to overcome how I feel at the mo...know it's silly to be so resistant to ad's. I think I'm getting to the stage where I think it may be my best opt though.....having some not very "nice" thoughts about nothing being worthwile etc (don't panic, not about to do anything silly, just trying to expalain it how it is...)

Just interested to hear others experiences of deperssion returning really....would like to type more mut ds is on my knee! Will check back later and try to provide some more info.

Hi Etsmum,

Did you have a good response to ads with your PND and did you have anyone you could really confide in? I've had dpression (not PND) off and on for 5 years and didn't always find the medication the most helpful.

The best help I ever had was from a hynotherapist that specialised in depression. Amongst other things he taught me to accept the days when I felt so low etc. and just to go with them. That's fine when you don't have children to look after but maybe you could get support on these down days... I think sometimes our body's need to be down to enable ujs to come back up.

Just a thought - hope you feel better soon.

xxxx

Thanks emotionalwreck for the response :) (why didn't I think of that name?)

Didn't get on the best with ad's which I think is why I'm not keen to take them again. V interested re the hypnotherapist though and will see what I can find out about this locally.

Again thanks for responding....finding this depression business lonely at the mo :( I'll respond futher later as have to get ds ready for playschoo soon.

I have had constant bouts of depression since having DD now 4 and another bout of PND after having DS (now 7 1/2 months) Not getting on with AD's told the councelling team to sd o* as they kept on coming out to see whilst DD was here which is not at all practical.

The root of mine seems to be the long hours of work, little sleep, messy house and unsuportive DH.

I am looking to reduce my hours at work so I can get more sleep then maybe I will be able to face the housework and start taking an interest in things again instead of just doing the minimum required to sustain life iyswim.

If you are using a barrier method of contraception (thats if you feel up to the evil deed I certainly don't) try st johns wort. Don't use it if you are on the pill or using an hormonal cont5raceptive though as it can make them inaffective.

I have a friend who swears by accupuncture.

Emotionalwreck - again thanks for replying. Must admit that with my (limeted) use of medication I really wasn't sure if it helped. BUT I think that maybe on retrospect I might have needed a different ad/higher dose and didn't want to say. I've had some "talking therapy" through the NSPCC and found this a lot more beneficial. I also may be able to get some sessions with a psychotherapist....it's in the pipeline. Which I think might be good....

I also found what you said aboutr accepting the bad days really sensible advice and I know I need to do this, instead of stressing/beating myself up over them. I just feel sad some days as I thought all this feeling low was past after the PND, but it's back and at the mo I don't even think there's a "reason" why. (feel like I need something concrete to say has caused it.....I SHOULD be happy at the mo as life really is pretty good....)

Mummyhill - sorry to hear things have been so rough for you, and well done for doing something to try to help it (reducing your hrs.) I'm lucky in that I've recently cut my hrs at work - only doing a handfuul a week now, as really resented others looking after/having fun with my ds when I could be.

Thanks for the suggestion re SJW, have tried it in the past, but it seemed to increse my migraines so I stopped (A migraine means a day in bed, in the dark, feeling v sick etc, so to be avoided!) Acupuncture is something else I will think about. Treatment costs a fair chunk though and I know my health ins won't cover it. Out of interest do you know how often your friend did/has sessions? Hear lots of talk about having a fair few (which is fine if it might help....)

I am very lucky in that my dh is wonderful and supportive, and I'm sure I'd have lost the plot completely if he wasn't. But I feel like he had such a rough time with the PND that I really need to feel better for him :(

I know where you are comming from on the Migraine point. I had one last week and couldn't shift it for 3 days.

Re the accupuncture I think she started by going twice a week then once a week then once a fortnight and now goes once a month.

Hypno therapy is supposed to be good. I did it for lack of self confidence back when I was a teenager. ONe session a week for two months soon had me feeling in control.