Fighting depression without meds...?

[Tinks8910]

Hi, I’ve recently signed up to MN as I’m really not coping v well after the recent birth (10 wks ago) of my third baby. This was an unplanned baby, I already felt overwhelmed with two children (5yo and 2y10m) and only found out at 4.5m I was pregnant, it was a massive shock to us.

I’m quite depressed, my moods are all over the place, I have some good days and some v bad days when I cry lots & am so irratable. My husband is an amazing support and really looks after us all, I feel so guilty for being unhappy and stressed out. I feel negative 80% of the time about everything in my life which is crazy as I know how much lucky I am to have my children and a supportive family.

I’ve taken antidepressants before, I am by no means adverse to them, I’ve also had counselling which really helped. This time I can’t adford private counselling and I felt so rubbish initially taking anti depressant meds before, and have read so many shocking side effects on here that I am hastent to start them again. I already feel exhausted and terrible physically that I’m not sure I could cope feeling any worse, especially having to function getting kids to school and pre school everyday, and look after a baby at home day and night.

So I’m looking for hope! Ha! Has anyone beaten depression without medication? Does anyone have any tips or coping mechanisms?

When will 3 kids ever seem easier than it does now?! Every read on we wanted to stop at two has been confirmed, although it’s poasibly harder with 3 than we could have ever imagined. I’m sure the ages of ours makes it harder than if they were older/bigger age gaps?

I’ve beaten depression pre kids without taking meds, just counselling, but since having my DTs 8 months ago I’ve just acknowledged I have pnd (yep, I tried to ignore it!) and have started taking ads today. First time ever, but I’m kind of thinking it’ll get worse but then hopefully so much better for me and us.

I’m sorry you’re going through this, maybe go to your gp or speak to your hv to ask for a referral for some counselling?

I had severe PND and didn’t want to take meds. I was basically railroaded into taking them after 6 months of hell. My regret was that I had put it off for so long...after 2 weeks things started to improve. I think if you have kids it’s not worth waiting for counselling etc as life is too full on, and the impact on kids of having a parent with untreated depression is negative (sorry, but there are loads of studies that confirm this, I am not scaremongering). Can you take the meds and go for counselling? Or just see how you get on with them?

3 kids is hard. I had 3 under 4. Life was, and still is chaotic, but you adjust. Little things make life easier as they grow, feeding themselves, dressing themselves but certainly when they are all in some form of educational establishment it is a real step forwards.