To think the fact some women never recover from postnatal depression should be more publicised

[startrekk]

I got postnatal depression from the moment my son was born. Prior to this I was a happy, carefree person. I eventually got diagnosed and found anti depressants helped but unlike all the information I had read about how you will recover with the right support. I remain with clinical depression 7 years later.

My feelings towards my son are different now. He is my world and I adore him. I get a lot of help with him and don't have any reason to be unhappy. However I am in a state of constant depression which my GP explained is likely to be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in my brain after childbirth.

Am I being unreasonable to say that I think it would be good to have more information on the true effects of postnatal depression. That while most people recover and it's important to get support. Some people will remain with depression many years later but symptoms can be improved?

Or would this effect the number of women seeking treatment and support?

I'm just interested in opinions really as I know I never knew postnatal depression could turn into long term depression and effect you long term. I also believed from what I had read that once you get into treatment the illness is short lived.

No sorry. If you’d told me my pnd feelings would never go away I may well have tried (harder) to end my life. Thankfully it did go away. I’m sorry you are still unwell.

I’m sorry you’re sick, but pnd definitely does goes away. What you have is plain old depression and your doctor would have told you that your pnd might have been worse because you were depressed beforehead. They definitely wouldn’t have told you, you still have pnd 7 years later. That is misinformation which like the pp said could encourage suicides.

You have my sympathies OP. I'm much the same although only 2 years in. Feeling better than I did but convinced I will never ever be 'me' again.

However I agree with the above that it might put people off getting help and feel even worse.

I don’t think awareness of the long term effects of PND can be a bad thing so YANBU. I have a friend of a friend who this happened to. No depression at all prior to giving birth to her first child. Nearly 10 years later she is still suffering. She can only work part-time, struggles to engage with family and friends etc. Heartbreaking. I had always assumed her case was quite unusual though OP. Perhaps it’s more common than I realised?

I definitely wasn't depressed beforehand. I was happy and content.

I became depressed after my son was born and while my symptoms have improved I still have depression.

It may now be classed as general depression but it was caused by giving birth.

The thing is, depression is never portrayed as something you are likely to get over. It is presented honestly as a lifelong condition that can get better with treatment but can also be managed long term.

I feel the information related to pnd is inaccurate. I joined a support group for women with pnd and of those I've stayed in contact with, none are actually better. The depression has remained although they are doing better than before.

It is tea. More awareness is needed. Pnd is presented as a short term illness. It often isn't. If people knew this Mothers would not feel so isolated when their symptoms don't get better after a few weeks.

Well, post natal depression can lead to chronic clinical depression. You are not post natal now but you are depressed. You might have been depressed at some stage even without having a child.

So, no, it's best not to dwell on the downside of giving birth. Pregnant woman and women planning to conceive have enough to be anxious about without horror stories.

I do feel every post natal woman should have quiet, gentle support around her for quite a while though.

I'm sorry you are depressed, op. It's a drag, isn't it?

Op, I definitely know what you mean.
I had pnd 9 years ago and I have bouts of depression every couple of months. Never was depressed in my 32 years of life before having children.

I'm sorry to hear that your depression is no better 7 years after first manifesting itself as PND.

One bit of your post resonates with me. 'Prior to this, I was a happy carefree person'

Having a child turns our world's upside down. I don't think anyone carries on as before. It's a massive deal. Scary, amazing, wonderous, horendous, and everything in between.

I have three children but my life change was something rather different but caused a major trauma. I resented things for quite a few years (ironically its been 7 for me too now). Not all the 7 years experience is bad - most of it has been pretty busy with nappies, toddler years, starting school running a family. I'm starting to realise I can only move forwards. I can't be that person because this person has more gritty life experience. I have to learn to love the me now. Who I am now and explore who I can become, not try to be who I can no longer be.

I think encouraging people to seek support if things don't feel right post childbirth, or at any time, is a good positive thing to do. I'm not sure advising of, or advertising, particularly challenging outcomes would help anyone or change the outcomes.

Hi all,

We think this thread might be more suited to our mental health section so we are moving it there in a moment.

Here is a link to our page on PND which may contain some helpful information for those posting on this thread.

@startrekk 100% behind you here.
I have pulled my life apart with a fine tooth comb in therapy and the crippling MH issues I now have absolutely stem from birth of 2nd child.
My brain is not the same.

Very sorry to hear this. My mum got PND after third child and it developed into 'regular' depression which lasted 10 years. However it did pass after that, with only occasional flare ups since then during difficult times (death of mother etc..). She never took ADs which I wish she'd tried but obvs not my business.
Just wanted to say that there's still a chance you will get better so try not to give up xx

OP I think you have a point. Perhaps it would be better for GPs and mental health providers to be fully aware of this so the follow up for PND and phrasing around it changes. So no cast iron assurances offered that it's PND therefore it's quickly and easily treated. Although just inserting "often" or "usually" or "many women find.." can offer similar Hope at the beginning of diagnosis, but leaves space for more follow ups and for more info to be given later if it doesn't disappear quickly and easily.

It must have been a very lonely place for you and other women this has happened to.

Thanks everyone. I am better now than I have been with just occasion sadness. I am just not the same as I was prior to having a child.

My brain is not the same

This

I am just not the same as I was prior to having a child

And this.

I don’t think I had PND, it seemed more like PTSD but no one would listen and tried to put me in the PND ‘box’ because I’d given birth.

I think this is happening to a lot of mothers and is why treatment is unsuccessful.

My brain chemistry/functioning/thought patterns have permanently changed but I’m not depressed. (No low mood)

It’s shit and no one is talking about it.

OP I 100% agree.

I had mild (undiagnosed) perinatal depression and anxiety when pg with DD1 and through her birth and afterwards, when I got pg with DD2 it was much worse and I was diagnosed - then looking back I could see that where things were a bit odd around my behaviour in first pregnancy and subsequent, it was the same.

Diagnosis was perinatal depression and anxiety. I had NEVER had mental health issues before my first pregnancy. The docs said it was likely due to pregnancy hormones.

I had a bit of CBT while pg.

Anyway while pg with DD2 I had to reduce my work hours as was too ill to work realy.
After I had her I got worse > I was really quite ill indeed.
I didn't want to go back to doc as worried about SS (not necessarily rational > but I was ill).
In the end when DD2 was about 3 DH made me go > I had some drugs and they perked me up.
DD2 is now 9 and I am still not recovered. I'm a lot better than I was but I think once your brain has been exposed to being offbalance it never really goes away. The fear of it coming back never goes away either. I have beta blockers for when I feel panicky.
My thought processes have just changed TBH I dont' think I will ever be the same person I was.

This is 100% due to pregnancy + birth.

I do think there is more studying to be done maybe? As we are confidently told that mental health issues related to pregnancy last up to a year.

of course what they mean is that they can easily go for more than a year but after that they are reclassified as not PND any more. It's a bit of a sleight of hand really.

More studying around this would be good + looking at numbers and stuff, get a better picture,which is hard as pregnancy and birth related stuff is underfunded and often a bit random anyway (as women's health issues around reproduction so often are).

I think that if it is not uncommon for previously mentally healthy women to end up with longer term mental health problems due to pregnancy and birth then we need to know about it, don't we.

I disagree that areas like this should not be researched / discussed in case they put women off or worry them. That's the rationale behind not being frank with women about the risks of VB and I think it is out of order.

My grandmothers PND never went away (or became clinical depression). She had her last child at 26, she is now 87. She was a depressive person before, but in my opinion hasn’t sought the help and support which may have gone some way to sorting it and what help she has had hasn’t been great because doctors are confused by it. It has blighted my mother and aunts lives.

Just reading NHS and I think I have had a misunderstanding as have apaprently others -

It says post natal depression can START any time up into the first year after birth
And under "myths"
"Postnatal depression will soon pass. Unlike the "baby blues", postnatal depression can persist for months if left untreated. In a minority of cases, it can become a long-term problem."

How interesting I thought it was supposed to GO within a year and seems I'm maybe not the only one who has misunderstood, although here it's quite clear.

It would be interesting to get some figures around the "minority" for whom it is long term.
I mean I am generally better now. But not how I was before. This is due to pregnancy and birth. I had no idea that this was a possibility > that it could break my brain just as some of my friends who had difficult births were not really aware of how it could break their body.

I feel this is not right. Pregnancy and birth are massive events that have a profound effect on women even if they go well. This is massively played down in society.

Is it becasue it's womens "job" to have babies and so there's an unwillingness to really look at it face on and say well yes babies are great but fuck me the penalties can be huge.