PND-How long before I feel normal???

[pinkyporker]

I feel like I am getting worse. The thoughts are getting darker and I'm getting sadder.

I know I should go back to the doctor but I want to try and deal with this without drugs.

Does anyone know of any self help techniques tthat really work?

Mine lasted a year. Sorry to have to break that to you. I think I could have used self help techniques which may have worked eventually, but I chose the medication which worked within two weeks and as I was on a relatively small dose was able to wean myself off them succesfully after a year. Have you tried exercise to help lift the depression? What else have you tried? I am sorry if that sounds trite but I do know when I had PND that support and help from others would make the world of difference. Do you have friends or family close by? Can you call on them to give you an hour's help every now and then?

I have family and friends but dont really feel I want to tell them. I suffred PND quite badly with my first child and I didn't really get the support then off of my parents. My sister is great but going through enough at the moment and the same with all of my friends.

I do plenty of exercise and that used to make me feel better but now I feel like nothings enough. That I cant find myself and my kids are suffering big time for me being so useless and selfish.

Would you consider medication in the short term then? It really helped me to cope and eventually I was able to enjoy being a Mum again. How are you feeling?

I just feel pointless. Theres no reason for me to be here other than the kids missing me.Im having a massive black hole feeling that I cant crawl out off. I'm not suicidal or anything just feel pointless.

I could try medication but it means going to the doctor and actually saying to somne I have PND!!

My HV said to me: would you try self help techniques if you had kidney disease? Would you try then to "pull yourself together" and do without drugs? Would you then try not to go to the doctor and say you had problems with your kidneys?

Really, she was very strict with me and I think with reason. I ignored her and it has taken 15 months for me to start to feel better. Others report it going on for longer.

I really remember feeling pointless, and I wish I had had the gumption to go to the sodding doctor. Then I could have started living my life again instead of having it on hold for so long.

Sorry, I am being strict with you and sounding bossy, but I really don't think that the "self help" way works. At least not if the PND is very bad. It might stave off some of the worst (good exercise, diet etc.) but really you need to enlist help from others, I think.

Go and see your HV first. They can do the PND checklist thing they do which will give you an indication of whether you are borderline or severely affected.

I admit I was only borderline and may have managed just without them but they helped tremendously so in retrospect I am so glad I had them. It will get better and easier with time but I think the best thing you can do for your kids is at least find out what treatment you could be offered and then make a more considered decision.

It is not scary going to the GP about it at all, I thought it would be but it really isn't. They must see so much of it that it felt like going to get some contraception or something. I think there may well be some truth in the fact that I was going to get help made everything seem so much better aswell, so you could possibly look into herbal remedies such as St. John's wort etcetera.

I am sorry you feel pointless, I must admit I just felt sad because I wasn't enjoying being a mum second time around and then there's the guilt which makes everything worse....You can definitely come out the other side though as I have and it makes you appreciate everything even more now. Every time I enjoy my kids and have a nice day with them just gives me that warm fuzzy feeling. It will come back, I promise!

I ended up suffering for two years, got a little better with counseling, but it was meds that made the difference in the end. Wish I had taken them before, but at 2 years I had been worn down to a core, mentally, physically and emotionally. Took meds for 8 months in total and twas the best I thing I ever did. Also used counseling as well.

Don't suffer any longer than you need to, I feel like I missed the first two years of my ds's life and wish I had started on the meds a lot sooner.

Bernie Bear I agree with you. When I had the depression I feel like I missed DD2's first year of her life and if I could go back again and relive this sans depression I would be there in a flash!

Mine lasted 1 year but got considerably better after stopping breast feeding at 9 months. Was like coming out from under a cloud. Then gradual return to 'near normal' over the next 3 months.