is this depression?

[padboz]

is it normal to be so knackered that you cannot make yourself do anything when you have two little ones? I find it really hard to make myself do my job or clean the house - I just want to lock myself away and sleep. Am I normally tired and feeling sorry for myself or could something be done so I don't feel so lazy and demotivated? What worries me is how much procrastinating I can do when I have to work and the tip I live in - both of these things make me really stressed but I don't seem able to deal with it. I was never like this before the girls came along.

It might be depression, or it might be something like an iron deficiency or thyroid problems. Go and see your GP who will probably do some blood tests to rule out anything physical before considering depression. I felt like this last year (it was depression) and it's been a hard few months getting over it. Happy to say that things are much better now.

How old are your children padboz? Do you work full time?

Are you getting a full nights sleep? If you are then it might be worth a trip to the doctors - it might not be depression as uberalice says but it would be worth a check up.

hello niecie and uberalice
My girls are 1 and 2. I work 4 days a week - this doesn't seem too much on paper and I get home by 5 every night (start really early and DH does the morning shift) I get 6-7 hours sleep. The thing is that I look at simple things to do - like putting a pile of washing away and it just looks overwhelming. That sounds ridiculous I know but sometimes all I have to do is make a few packed lunches, put the washing machine on and make sure I know where my keys and purse are for the morning each night and I feel like I have too much work to do! When I have real work deadlines I can go into a tail spin. I dont feel horrifically sad ever - just horribly overwhelmed and like almost everything is impossible. Simple stuff looks hard. I'm waffling.

Padboz, it sounds like a cliche but it does get easier. You've really got a lot on with two little ones and working almost full time.

If you're starting to feel like it might be depression, please go and see your GP before it gets worse. I was in denial for months, convincing myself that I was just having the odd bad day here and there, but it really did get quite difficult before I admitted I had a problem.

As your girls get older you can involve them more. My youngest is 2 and I can now get him to "help" me sort out a pile of washing, which at least keeps him occupied while I do it myself. Oh well, I'm starting to waffle now. Let us know how you get on.

I think I know that feeling padboz and I don't even have a job!

My house needs a major sort out and until I do it I can't actually make a decent job of the day to day stuff. I can't stand not doing things properly and if I know I won't be able to finish something I don't start it. Pathetic really.

Your children are very young and they are about as demanding as they get at that age, especially if you have to combine looking after them with a job. Have you been feeling like this for very long? I am wondering if you have a touch of PND?

You really have nothing to lose by seeing a doctor.

padboz - are there things you enjoy? things you plan and look forward to? the classic sign of depression is utter lack of interest in anything. no hint of pleasure in life. it does sound to me like you could have depression - certainly sounds like you should go to the GP. but in the meantime can you and dh try really hard to make the effort to plan the odd thing to look forward to (planning it is important - gives you extra time to enjoy it iyswim). visits to friends? a walk in the country? family day out at the weekend? the washing pile can be hideously overwhelming but if you give yourself the feeling that you need to do it to give yourself time to do something you enjoy, it might not seem so bad.