Single mum and depressed

[BlueBell16]

Hi, I am a single mum to an 11 month old daughter (my ex partner and I split up when I was 4 months pregnant). She was conceived through IVF after struggling with infertility for several years. I longed for a child so badly and was terribly depressed during the years of struggling to get pregnant. I thought when I had my daughter, that my depression would end, but it hasn't. I am on 40mg of Prozac per day, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I also suffer from terrible insomnia. My DD is lovely, but very challenging at the moment. She gets easily bored and frustrated and nothing seems to make her happy. I am on the go from 7am to 7pm, looking after her, trying to keep her entertained, whilst at the same time trying to keep on top of housework. When she goes to bed at 7pm, I keep going with housework, paperwork etc until about 11pm. There is just so much to do. I am being made redundant from my job and am planning to move up north to be near family, but it all feels like such a tremendous struggle. From the minute I wake up in the morning, all I want to do is to pull the duvet over my head and stay in bed all day, but of course I can't as I have my daughter to care for. I don't have any family close by and no close friends.

I want to stop feeling like this, I have a lot to sort out in my life as I want to make it better.

I'm wondering if Prozac isn't the right medication for me as it literally seems to do nothing, except make me feel tired all the time, only despite that I still can't sleep. Can anyone help?

Thank you.

Ah I know that feeling of wanting to stay under the duvet and I know the torment of depression but my kids are grown and I am a grandmother.

I'm wondering if you should go back to the GP and ask to try another AD - there are a lot of them and what suits one doesn't suit another. The other thing I wondered was whether you are suffering from PND even though your baby is 11 months old, I believe you can still have this illness into the child's 2nd year. Your split with your ex partner must have been hard for you with a young baby and do you think that's contributed to your depression.

Bit puzzled about your circumstances as you talk of being "on the go" all day with the baby, but then mention you are being made redundant. Is this going to create financial difficulties. Sounds a good idea to move near family and I know so well that feeling of everything being a struggle. The trouble with depression is that it sucks the life out of us. Anyway I think you should make an appointment with a sympathetic GP and maybe you can get an AD that suits better than Prozac and give you the motivation to be near your family.

Thank you for your kind response. I said I'm on the go all the time, as even though I'm not at work, I try hard to keep the house clean and tidy so whenever I get time, I do housework. I am also trying to declutter, to make things easier when I hopefully move, so lots of sorting out and taking stuff to the tip and to charity. Apart from that, I am applying for jobs and regularly visiting my grandmother who is very ill. I have a dog too who needs long walks. I will ask the GP for another AD. I hope it will help. Thanks again.