List of symptoms does this sound like depression to you?

[Jacksmybaby]

Depression/PND (DS 11mths so too late for latter?) or just normal tired stressed out mummy?

• Exhaustion, all the time, so so tired
• Feeling overwhelmed and that I can't cope (but not actually to the point of not coping iyswim)
• Tearfulness for no particular reason
• Generally feeling down for npr
• Excessive worrying and stressing about tiny unimportant things
• Excessive sensitivity (always thinking people are criticising when they're not)
• Mood swings - fine one day, miserable the next - when feeling fine think I must have been imagining the not fine days, but when feeling down, feel like it must always have been / will always be like this
• PMT (which I've never really had before) i.e. all other symptoms intensify for about 9 days before period
• Head feels generally fuzzy - can't think straight, brain feels generally slow and sluggish
• Memory loss - can't remember recent conversations, struggle with people's names
• Constantly frustrated and angry and thinking other people are doing things just to annoy me or at least just don't care about my opinions
• Lying awake at night head buzzing with nothing in particular
• Finding it difficult to let go / scared of losing control e.g. cleaning constantly as worried house will turn into pigsty if don't, or standing over DH telling him what to do while he looks after DS, wanting things done exactly the way I want them etc.

What do you think?
Go see your doctor. I think you know you're depressed. And no it's not too late for pnd.

some of the symptoms you describe are really common for someone who has recently had a baby (and remember it takes at least a year to recover), some less so.

I don't think anyone should diagnose depression over the internet. have you been to your doctor? fwiw I think what you describe could be a normal reaction to lack of sleep/ hormonal changes/nutritional deficiencies. have you tried the usual insomnia remedies and how is your diet?

You have similar symptoms to me - you really must go and see your GP and get some help for you and ultimately your LO. I had PND right from the start. Stupidly after 6/7 months I stopped taking ADs then at 10 months it came back with a vengeance - it got to the point that I nearly walked out of the house leaving my ds alone - I didn't do it but I was very scared that I was thinking of walking away as everything was simply too much for my head. You will feel better - take care of yourself xx

I accept Senoras point that depression shouldn't be diagnosed by anyone other than a GP, but I still think you need to go and see your doctor as soon as possible and see what he or she thinks. If for some reason you can't see a GP as soon as you would like, then get in touch with your Health Visitor.

Some of it is being a mum (Iused to be quite clever, but have to write everything down in a notebook now, and I often lose the notebook!), but a lot sounds like depression.
Has it been like this long, or just in the winter months?
I get SAD, and the winter months can be awful - hiding in the house for days, paranoia, tearfulness. I have to make sure I get lots of daylight, or prozac

Go to your doctors if you are worried, but it does seem depressive to me.

Parsnip, diet is actually not too bad, could be better but not too bad. Which do u think are the less normal symptoms? It's hard to know where the line is between a normal reaction to lack of sleep (and DS is really not a good sleeper, not to mention a real handful in the day too!) and depression.
Rhubarb one reason I'm not sure is have spent lots of time on here looking at other people's stories and feel a bit of a fraud in comparison - nowhere near anything like self harm, suicide, or even "letting myself go" (not eating/washing properly, not able to get out of bed or go out of the house, letting the house get into a state etc - quite the opposite in fact). From the outside I'm "coping" perfectly I just don't feel it inside.
Remedies-wise: have started exercising again, trying warm bath, deep breathing and hot drink at bedtime. Looking into trying magnesium ok which other on here have recommended for pmt.
Oh, and forgot to mention another symptom - sex drive, what sex drive?!

go and see your gp. you tick neary all the boxes on the 'are you depressed' quiz they will give you. the doctor should be really good. it is probably just a blip because you are so tired, life change etc but sounds like you need some support.

take care of yourself - screw the cleaning the let dh take ds out for the afternoon tomorrow while you lie down/watch telly/take a lover!

Ruba - thanks
Bunny - think it has been building up for a few months now but suddenly seems to have got much worse over last 2 months or so - then again have started to find DS much more difficult in last couple of months too.

Try This - www.pni.org.uk/

Goat
See I still have a sense of humour! (sometimes)

Sushi a lot of that sounds familiar esp the "mussy head" bit!
Think it's worth going to see GP to talk it through (wary of them being a bit trigger happy on prescribing ADs which I have been on before - long story but have underactive thyroid, was convinced needed higher dose of thyroxine and kept being told my tiredness was depression). Then again if ADs might help then why not.

Hi, Jacksmybaby - think it does sound like you need to see GP - but I also recognise a lot of how you are feeling in myself, so has got me wondering if I do...especially with regards to anxiety.

can I ask what usually happens if you see a GP about feeling low, if that isn't too much of a hijack?
thanks. Dinny

Hi

Good idea to have a chat with your GP or health visitor. I am aware that PND can sometimes take a year or so to hit the surface and I know someone that got it when thier child was 2..It was only then that she realised that the feelings she has were linked to the change in life etc.

Big hugs and thinking of you x

Jacksmybaby - you could have been describing me and how I was feeling when my ds was 11 months. I also felt like a fraud because I wasn't suicidal/self harming etc etc, and had no what I would consider valid reasons (like work/financial/marital/family/etc problems) to be depressed. It took me a long time to admit to myself there was a problem.

I spent a few weeks just having chats with the hv with did help quite alot, but in the end i saw the doctor. She put me on a minimum dose of AD's for a few months explaining that sometimes that's all is needed, and fortunately in my case she was right. I just wish I had got help earlier. I think if it comes on gradually you don't always notice and it feels almost normal to feel like this. It was only after I started to feel better that I realised just how bad I had got.

Are you bf?

If not you could try 5HTP or St. John's Wort, homeopathic remidies for depression.

I feel for you. I have mild PNI and I don't feel depressed, just tired and a bit mad. We're always here if you need a chat, sometimes just talking about it helps.

Best go see your GP. I went into my surgery and asked for a female doctor who'd recently had a child, she was amazng.

I went to my GP last week and uncomfortably admitted I thought I had PND and she was brilliant. Didn't try to persuade me down any particular route of ADs or counselling etc. unless I wanted to. I also found a local support group through my HV which has a creche for both my DSs (2 under 2 - good luck creche!) so in my experience there was a lot of support out there when I was able to ask for it. Good luck. x

Thank you everyone for all the replies and support. Already feel a bit better that others get what I'm talking about! Sushi, yes was also thinking about trying St John's wort (although haven't heard of the other thing you mention) although don't think you can mix it with ADs can you, so would need to choose one or the other if GP were to suggest ADs. Annoyingly, having had a great HV originally, we moved to a different area when DS was 6mths and have only seen new HV a couple of times so wouldn't really consider an in depth chat about my feelings with her! I think GP is the way to go (somehow doesn't seem to matter so much that I don't really know my GP either).

The 5HTP ones release seratonin, the happy hormones, like eating lots of bananas I hear

I don't think you can mix either with AD's.

Good Luck with your GP.

Well I saw the gp in the end - actually wimped out of making an apptment but then had to take ds in for his chest infection and ended up breaking down in tears in front of the gp, who immediately booked me in to see her later that morning! she was great and has put me on a low dose of fluoxetine, also is contacting the hv that specialises in pnd to come round and see me. so hopefully things will improve soon .

JMB - your post was almost describing me, in fact I have just written a list on paper similar to yours as I am seeing my GP tomorrow.

I too feel like a fraud as I do not feel suicidal or anything near, but just drastically do not feel like myself.

The way you described mood swings was exactly how I have been feeling but have been so irritated I couldnt put it into words - the way you have written it is exactly how I felt, on the "good" days I think I must have been imagining how dark and bad the other days were, but on those horrible days I am in despair. The dark days are becoming more frequent than the good days and are starting to drown me

I think the daily battle of "keeping on top of things" (housework, children, meals, etc, all the simple daily life things) is such a struggle, again just how you described.

Dont look at me - I also keep trying to justify how im feeling or try and validate it against money worries, marital problems (some days I cant stand my DH for no reason??), family, etc. Sometimes it works but then this unsettled feeling creeps back in and I know it isnt REALLY that, argh so frustrating.

Thanks for your post, made a lot of sense and I will take my list to my GP tomorrow, I also have a sinking feeling I will cry and not make any sense, so a written list may be the answer!!

Let us know how you get on with HV and good luck x

It's a very thin line.
Most of us get there at some point.
Only you know if you need help. I think you know already. Talk to your GP. Don't let it fester. There is no reason to feel like a fraud.
You have symptoms. Labelling them as depression or not, who cares? Just don't shrug them off.

I'm personnaly anti AD's and any sort of medicine in general.
A brisk walk in fresh air + High potency omegas + getting out of the house and socialising with other mums AND ACCEPTING that that having mush instead of a brain is just a phase in a woman's life did the trick.

Don't feel like you MUST take AD's, but if you feel like you can not function at all, then they can help you keep your head above water.

Take care

Monsoon, well done for going to gp (and not wimping out like I did!). Let me know how you get on today xx

Thanks JMB - I went to GP today, but last night while I was on MN I wrote out a list of how ive been feeling, pretty similar to your list actually!!

GP asked how I was and I just said "not too bad, ive done a list cos I might get all flustered", she was lovely, took list from me, gave me a questionnaire to fill out (I was even honest and filled it in honestly).

I have been given 20mg Citalopram, with repeat so I shouldnt run out again. GP told me to see her again in 6 weeks but I told her im due back at work in 5 weeks and already feel panicky as I dont feel I can handle it at the moment.

I am also under the hospital having procedures to try and resolve damage caused during childbirth, this is being done once a week over 6 weeks, so will still be going on when im due back (am also having wisdom tooth out week before im due back to work!!). I dont even know if these procedures will fix/cure the problem I have, let alone if I will feel physically well enough to go to work (desk job and problem relates to being able to sit down/stand/walk!!).

Sooooooooooooo, THANK YOU for making me feel im not going mad, what im feeling is relevant and real, it gave me the courage to tell GP and hopefully now I can start on the right road to getting better

Would highly recommend writing down a list or a letter if you feel you cant speak to GP, it was therapy for myself and made life easier when I was face to face with GP.

How are you all getting on??

GP told me should start to see the benefits of the ADs in about 2-3 weeks so hopefully you will start seeing an improvement by the time you go back to work Monsoon! I'm also due back in 5 weeks!
re your hospital procedures, hope they sort the problem out.
Have been looking up old threads re fluoxetine on here, a bit scary as there seem to be loads of side effects so just waiting for those to kick in!!
x