Post Natal Anxiety

[BambinolovesBeccie]

Hi. I'm after a bit of advice please. I was diagnosed with PNA last August and stupidly thought that it was just down to tiredness and would go away. Many months on I am finding it very hard to cope with every day normal things. Everything seems like a life or death situation - for example, if DH said he was going to take DS to a park a car ride away, and if that involved a busy road, I would try and stop him from going in case they crashed. I keep putting off a night out with friends or DH despite MiL offering to babysit because I keep thinking what if she drops down dead and DS is left on his own (MiL is 68 but fit as a fiddle). I can't focus on work because I don't feel like I have room in my brain for anything other than - in my mind - trying to keep DS safe. I go to bed every night praying that DS doesn't die and that I get to see him grow up. He is a perfectly normal healthy 15 month old btw and I know that but still I worry so much.

On the plus side, I know that I have problems. I am going to see the doctor tomorrow but am not sure how to articulate the above without going off track, bursting into tears or just rambling. I want to say that I have irrational thoughts and that the PNA is stopping me from doing things that are every day normal to other people, but I'm frightened that it will all come out like a big mess. Grateful for advice on how I should handle the appointment. Many thanks.

Hi Bambino
PNA is very common and I know from my own experience how distressing and debilitating it can feel.Try not to worry about how you will react at the doctorsif you cry or 'ramble'it only shows how poorly you feel.Hopefully you have a sympathetic and understanding GP, try not to be afraid to tell them exactly how you feel so you can discuss the best way forward. I know you probably feel at the moment that you are stuck with this way of feeling, but there are things that can really helpCBT, medication, exercise. Good luck

Comepletely agree that the important thing is that you're going. They will not be put out at all if you break down. I was diagnosed with PNA last September and properly broke down in floods of tears in the DRs office. They were super,and I can tell you that now, I am absolutely, fully recovered. Anxiety is just horribe, the physical feeling I had in my chest all day was debilitating and I truly felt that I would not get better. I was put on medication, citalopram at first which I reacted badly to, then trazodone which worked wonders. It helped me get sleep and just took the physical symptoms of my anxiety away. You ill most likely be asked to fill out a quesionnaire so they can gauge what level of anxiety you have. I was referred very quickly to the local mental health team, and I can't fault the treatment I had at all. And to think I was scared to make the initial appointment. It was honestly the most significant thing I've done for myself since my son was born nearly 2 years ago. It makes me feel sad when I htink how out of my depth I felt, and just how treatable it is. I was afraid to be in my house becaus ei had a very real fear that someone was coming to 'get' me I would sit with my curtans drawn and lights off at night so 'they' wouldn't know I was home. I would jump a million miles in the air if my doorbell rang. I felt mad. But it was all just symptoms of anxiety, and a very understandable reaction to a terrible terrible year I had just had really. Good luck tomorrow

Hi, Just wondering how you are doing today and how you got on at the GP?

Hi rael and justallovertheplace. Firstly thank you so much for responding to my post. The appointment at the GP went well I think. He gave me a questionaire to complete and then said I had moderate depression as well as PNA. He thinks that the depression is borne out of my circumstances (a very difficult year with my MiL and SiL - very long story - although I am getting on better with miL these days. I told him that I just want to live a normal life and not carry out a risk assessment every minute of the day.

I am being referred for counselling which I am pleased about. The doctor wanted me to take ADs but I want that to be the last resort - I am anxious about taking them if I'm honest - irony at its best huh.

Thanks again.