How quickly can PND happen?

[michelleseashell]

Or is this just sleep deprivation and the effects of constant noise?

I was feeling top of the world for the first four months after having my baby. Now I've suddenly become a mess. I feel like I'm having a breakdown.

Every day he's started making this constant noise. I don't know why. He's not in pain. I think he's just realised he can make sounds. But he's easily frustrated too so unless I sit with him the noise gets louder and louder until he suddenly bursts into tears. He's stopped sleeping at night. He was only waking up once or twice and now it's every hour and he screams if I put him in his cot so he has to sleep with me and I can barely doze off with him there because of the awkward position I have to lie in.

Anyway, I've started to feel like I'm going insane. I've been hiding in the next room from him with both of us crying. The noise from him is making me feel ill. Even when he's happy now it's got the point where I just want to put my hands over my ears so I can't hear it. I've begged him to please stop. It's so bad that I've hit my head because I just can't stand it anymore. He won't let me put him down but he doesn't want me to pick him up either.

I don't get any sleep at night and I feel like crying every morning. The house is getting more and more untidy and looking at the mess is making me feel sick.

I can't eat. I don't have time. I get so hungry that I feel like I might pass out but whenever I go in the kitchen the thought of washing a plate and making a sandwich makes me feel so exhausted that I just leave without eating anything.

My husband works late every night and I don't have any family that can help. It's just me on my own every day. And now I don't even want to see anyone. I just want to hide. It's too hard to get an appointment at my doctors. I've called but they're always booked and say call tomorrow morning but I'm too tired to think about it in the mornings.

All this has happened in about ten days. Am I depressed? I just want the noise to stop and to lie down somewhere quiet and dark for a while. I've started to get hysterical over it and get thoughts about ending it all so I can sleep.

Please help someone

I was diagnosed with PND about 3 months ago (when my DD was 6 months old). Just getting a name for what/why I was feeling that way was a huge step for me and helped massively. It helped to know that medically there was something wrong and it wasn't that I was just a bad mum (felt like one) or had made a mistake in having a child. I started on ADs right away, I had no doubts over taking them. If I had a sore leg I would take something to help and I see mental illness as just the same. Please don't cut off your nose to spite your face - you will find something to work for you.

I found having the diagnosis made it easier to be honest with people about how I was feeling and that I wasn't coping. I got more understanding.

I have good days and bad days, but the good outweigh the bad by a massive amount. I go to counselling too and that has been very helpful.

I urge you to go and get help. You owe it to yourself and your son.

How are you michelleseashell? Are you getting any sleep?

Have you thought about taking advantage of your MIL's visits? I really hope you get a few hours off when ever you can and just sleep or rest in your own bed..

Take care and remember that things will look up soon enough! It's just a few bad days in the way now that you need to get through.. As soon as you get to the doc you will be on your way to feeling better!

Take care!