PND - how long will I have CPN/support for?

[dontrunwithscissors]

I realise I could ask my CPN this, but I feel stupid doing that so I thought I'd ask here...

I was diagnosed with PND 3 months ago, and admitted to a mother and baby unit almost straight away. I've been home for 6 weeks, and have a CPN coming to see me weekly. I was just wondering how long such support tends to be offered for? Once I'm not getting such big dips in my mood? Or when I'm feeling 100% better? I hope that makes sense. She's been great, but I feel so crap right now & I keep wondering whether they'll just say that I've had my quota of support and I'm on my own.

I was admitted to a mother and baby unit too when my baby was 3 months old. My CPN still comes to visit me and DD is 2.5 years old now.

So basically you can carry on having support for pretty much as long as you need it. There is still no mention of CPN not coming any more and I am doing really well now. I think when you have been an inpatient they like to give you extra support, which can be annoying at times when you are doing fine, but it useful when things aren't going so well.

Glad to hear you are home now. How are you feeling right now?

That sounds promising, thanks for the reply. I'm up and down, but they're in the process of changing my AD's so I suppose it's to be expected. I find it hard to imagine making it until DD2 is 2.5 years old so it's good to hear you're coming (or have come) through to the other side. Sorry, not sure whether I'm making any sense tonight.

yes you are making sense, don't worry! What ADs are you on? It took them a long time to get my medication right - I was on so many different things at one point.

There is hope, you will get through it I promise. At one time I thought I would never get better, but now I just feel pretty much back to my old self, and I'm enjoying my DD soooo much - loving the toddler days so much more than I expected and soooo much better than the baby days!

i spent time in a psych unit for pnd/pnp two years ago and i still see my cpn, its very much as and when i feel i need it now, but basically it was offered as long as i felt i needed it and even now that i am well (and having another baby!) the support is still there, i can ring my cpn whenever i want and he is keen for me to go along and bring the new baby with me so he can have a cuddle!

i am 17wks now and doing fine, but will be seeing my cpn in the next week or so as i have a few stressful weeks coming up, its great that i am able to go and just 'touch base' if and when necessary.

well done for doing so well, it can be hard, esp adjusting to life out of hospital, please be kind to yourself

I'm on sertraline (and olanzapine on a night), but have started reducing the sertraline. I have an appointment with the psychiatrist on Monday to discuss what to do with medication next. If you don't mind me asking, how long did it take you to feel like you were back to something approaching normal?

Sorry, 4madboys didn't see your post. OK, so hopefully I won't be ditched in the next month! Just can't help but feel they're going to tell me it's all my own fault now, and to get over myself. But maybe that's the PND talking....

that is def the pnd talking! it is NOT your fault. you have an illness and you are battling it to get well, ups and downs on are normal, but you WILL get well

please be kind to yourself xxx

good luck wiht the app on monday, bump this thread and let us know how you get on.

re how long did it take for me to feel normal, umm hard to say there were times i thought i felt normal, but in reality wasnt really feeling normal. it is a very gradual process and i certainly didnt wake up one day and think 'oh i feel normal' there was just gradual improvement, more ok days, more smiles, more laughter and a feeling of 'coping' rather than struggling etc.

certainly now i look at home i am and cant believe how far i have come, it seems like a lifetime ago, i was such a different person when i was ill. the first year after ds4 was born was tough, and i definitely felt like i was 'existing' rather than living,but gradually gradually things got better and they will for you xxxxxxxx

dontrunwithscissors - just joined mumsnet so I can tell you that this is not your fault, and try to give you some hope.

I was diagnosed with PND and OCD before Christmas and its the hardest thing I and my family have ever been through - but we ARE getting through it. Every day there are challenges but I'm starting to accept and deal with them.

People told me when I was first ill (this is an illness, we dont choose to be like this) that eventually the good days would start to outnumber the bad days, and its true. At first its a good idea to try and break your day down, try to find good bits in each day. Even if its just 5 minutes, its still some relief. It will get more and more, I promise you.

Make sure you keep getting support, CPNs plus there are support groups around.

I really hope you start to feel more positive soon

Thanks, ERsmum. Just as an update - I came off the sertraline, and was prescribed citalopram, but I haven't started taking it yet. I was feeling OK and hoping to get by without needing any more AD's. However, things aren't looking quite so rosy right now . I'm going to see how I go over the next couple of weeks.