You make total sense. I had PND after my DD1 was born and I felt wrong until she was around 18 months. I loved her to bits and found I loved watching her and being with her.........and I also felt totally not myself. I would do what I had to do in the mornings then allow myself the afternoons to hide from the world. I didn't like being around people.
I bought a book called "At Home No One Hears You Scream" by Cara Aitken. I liked the title. It was a breakthrough for me that other people had feelings like mine. Then I felt better slowly and carried on. But not totally myself....I ignored my deep feelings.
Later, when I had my DTs, I threw myself into taking care of the children and for 6 months I flew around on autopilot. We moved twice in six months, my DP worked away, I had twins to take care of and then my DD1 started school. Eventually, I fell into a pit and stayed there.
I dragged myself out of it slowly by trying everything, vitamins, exercise, counselling with first counsellor. But it didn't go away fully. Then I revisited the counselling place and got a counsellor I clicked with (I ditto the last two posts) and it made the WORLD of difference.
I could look back and see that no matter what I'd done or what medicines or therapies I'd had, nothing would have fixed me until I dug around and found out what was at the root of my feelings.
It took the best part of a year and yes, I went down further before I came back up. But now, 8 months on.......I am so glad. I am not fixed but I am on the road to recovery.
Only today, I found a pile of self help books that I thought I would find answers in and I chucked them in the charity bag. It felt so good. I know I have reasons now for why I felt the way I did and that has helped enormously.
MN was my main source of support in the beginning. I couldn't even admit to myself I had a problem until some girls on here put out an olive branch and let me/made me trust them. Even now I find saying and typing the word 'depression' very, very hard.
You can feel better. Someone said to me "you deserve to feel like the person you know you are". Keep going xxx.