Can't explain how I feel!!

[tyrone]

First timer so please bear with me!! Docs think I'm depressed (ds is 8 months) but I just feel a bit overwhelmed by everything - is this the same thing? Given me Fluxotine to take but I'm not keen on starting them - don't want to rely on drugs for months. Worrying about money, ds finding it hard to settle into day nursery , returned to work 2 months ago to be told my position is being reviewed (??),Dad struggling with Cancer treatment and I feel the world is closing in on me!! Is this depression or just how every new mum feels? Currently off work on sick and can't face the thought of going back - feel this is the route of all bad feelings but can't afford not to work! I know I'm ranting - Help!!

Ok take a deep breath.

Your GP would not of prescibed them if he didn't think you needed them.

PND can just feel as if you are being overwhelmed to start with but then you start avoiding things you can't face. With everything else that is going on as well you must be feeling really stressed and low.

All I can do is say try the tablets, they take a little while to kick in but do help you to cope. GP will want you to take them for a min of 6 months and will gradually reduce the dosage to see how you are coping.

Try reading this it may help you. I know it has helped me and many others on here.

Take one day at a time and keep posting the support here is marvelous.

tyrone I know how you feel you're not alone

I had pnd which established itself by me not being able to cope and feeling like everything is just getting to much. My brother (a non-practicing psyologist) explained to me that there are varying types of depression and PND is nothing serious and more importantly depression is nothing to be ashamed about.

With what you've got going on in your life I'm not surprised you're feeling low. I was given AD's (paroxetine) and they did help me but simply taking the edge off things which gave me room to sort everything out without getting in to depth of despair.

I can understand your reluctance of taking the drugs but in some cases they really do help and hopefully your GP isn't just in the business of handing them out as and when but assesses the situation.

Keep posting mn really helped me through any and every crisis!

i take fluoxitine too...and having been tried on different drugs last year...know that they are helping me.

depression is a sly thing...i don't cry alot....so find myself saying 'i'm not depressed'...then going through phases of not getti ng anything done...not going out the house..and wanting to sleep all the time.

I also have OCD and general anxiety... so for me prozac takes the edge of hoe i feel...makes life easier- AND though i do still have down days....i can hand on heart say that having grown up with a mum that refused medication for her mental health probs...and being at the recieving end of her anger etc... i will continue taking antidepressants forever.

its hard though taking that 1st pill...i can remember sitting there for ages just staring at it.

will take 10-14 days for you to notice ything...and it could be something as simple as you will notce that you did ba chore that you had avoided...or phoned phoned a friend...or even had a chat with someone...whereas for a while you may have been avoiding these things...or you may find caring for yourself less of an effort...as with my PND i ended up rushing round seeking perfection in all i did regarding the baby etc...and ten forgot to eat or get my clothes ready...so i was always chaing my tail.

so keep us informed...and look forward to feeling less overwhelmed soon...you should be feeling much better in time for christmas!

be kind to YOURSELF....you need some ME time too!!!

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your support and can't believe how quickly I got some advice (not a seasoned chat roomer as you might have guessed!!). Will give the pills some thought - back to see the GP on Friday and will discuss with him again if I haven't started them by then. Will let you know how I'm getting on. Thanks again.xxx

tyrone - How are you getting on? Been thinking about you. Hope you are ok.

Hi tyrone, just been reading this thread, how are you?? It sounds like you've got so much on at the mo with the job, your dad and ds.

I wish I could give you any advice, all I can say is never beat yourself up about anything, you are always trying to do whats right for you and your ds.

Hope your ok

Hi
I have taken fluxetine(Prozac) in the past for similar situations. Mum ill with cancer, very stressful work life, Mum passed away, got married, had a baby, stressful relationship, PND, nasty separation etc.

I am in two minds about it. On one hand it really helps to as the advert says 'lift the veil of depression'. It just used to make my normal bearable instead of totally overwhelming and intolerable. I wasn't flying off the walls or so deleriously happy that nothing could burst my bubble. I was just ok. Ok is good when you feel so bad you can't face life.
The flip side is when I take it, I always get to a point - between 4 - 8 months when I am so OK that I feel I do not need it anymore. I also realise that during that time bad things may have happened but my feelings have been so muted that I cannot feel much but indifferent about them and that's not always good.
I think they are a good temporary lift to help you reassess life without the black cloud tarnishing every thought.
I have to say that at the moment I don't take any medication, I still have problems but I can take them in my stride. Maybe it's because I am not working at the moment so the pressures of the rat race aren't there. I struggle financially but I know it temporary and in my situation I really needed this time out to stop myself going completely insane. I actually find talking on Mum's net very theraputic.
Good luck in whatever you decide. S