PPD? who's had it?

Denise - posted on 01/24/2013

Medicine in the US is not fond of holistic anything. Due to the liability of lawsuits, doctors tend to prescribe medicines approved by several boards to treat a certain illness. They take no chances on remedies as I have no idea if there are long term studies that show the effectiveness not to mention other doctors would label them a kook in no time. I think PPD is so under diagnosed and by the time most women seek treatment, they are in deep trouble emotionally. PPD is not typical life stress. It has gone on since the beginning of time. No one talked about it. It has taken 100 years to have awareness on the issue and you minimizing the affects makes it clear you have never had it. Babies die at the hands of untreated mothers with PPD. If even one child is lost, we should be closely monitoring new mom's for PPD symptoms. Yes I know no one used to do this, it was just a bad month, a bad year, etc and we lost tons of babies when their moms' harmed them. This is progress. The world and stressors have changed alot if you hadn't noticed. Back when women's only job was raising their children, the intolerance for PPD was there but we have come a long way since then. I hope your personal opinion on the subject does not discourage any new mom from seeking help. Talk to your own doctor about it and have the doctor explain PPD to you so you understand.

Aleks - posted on 04/01/2012

Yeah... I've been on meds for PND (post natal depression - as it is known in Aust).



I had (and still do to some extend) an anxiety disorder. I've had it for many many years prior to having kids. I was never on medication for it because I was never diagnosed. After having a child (and all the sleep deprivation and hormonal upheavals that it brings), stopping work, moving house in a relatively new relationship still ... well all of that took its toll on me in a lot of different ways - mentally, emotionally and physically. My previously overly anxious state of mind, emotional ups and down because of it, just finally couldn't cope anymore. BTW no one knew of my anxiety (well some knew I suffered some anxiety, but not the full picture!).



Basically I ended up having a nervous breakdown (around 15mths post giving birth to my 1st born). My anxiety took over. I finally went and got professional help. I spoke to my GP who also sent me to get diagnosed by a psychiatrist who said that I have most likely post natal depression which is setting off my OCD (finally I got a name for what was bothering me for all those years), which is then furthering depression, which then imapcting my OCD even more, etc etc.

I was on anti-depressants for about 11mths. I would not have been able to get through my illness without them. Natural or wholistic medicines/approaches would not have been strong enough to deal with what I was going through. I actually was ready to be hospitalised!!!!! (though I never was - to my dismay early on in the piece!) I was in quite intensive therapy (ie, one or two visits every week for months on end!!!) with a psychologist.



I cannot speak for a lot of mothers. I am certain though, that most would have had a depressive episode in the past prior to being pregnant. I sure did! And the women that I have known to have pnd have too. For not being able to cope most doctors, I am sure, would prescribe joining a group for support such as a mother's group or a play group, etc. Going out for a walk/excercising.

Depression is not just about not being able to cope - its about not being able to function. There is a HUGE difference. When you are crying frequently and then when you can't cry anymore its when things have really hit the fan. When you start imagining your kid/s growing up without a mother.. that is when things are bad... For me it was like I was in HELL. Emotional and mental and intellectual HELL. I would not wish these emotions and the things I went through on my worst enemy. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. The days were very long and so were the nights..... in perpetual maddening hell....I don't know how else to describe it.



I am just glad that I was lucky enough to be born at a time when this isn't such a stigma as it used to be, and I am not considered to be possessed by the devil. And most luckily of all, they have medication that CAN HELP.

However, I do believe that just taking medication and not getting help with a counsilor or a psychologist/psychiatrist is pointless. You are not solving anything, you are just putting band-aids on. However, there are some mental illnesses where even if you do do those therapies you will still need to be on medications, most likely for the rest of life. Its all different for everybody and also on what illness one has.



And yeah, like Kimberly said - for those that haven't had a mental illness (or had to care for someone who has)... one cannot truely know or comprehend how much some of these medicines are needed.

Katherine - posted on 02/24/2012

I'm in the same boat as Kimberly. I have mental illness, severe anxiety and depression and I did have PPD after my daughters were born. I think there's a big difference between just being a little stressed and wanting to not have had your child or crying about everything (2 threads I've run into). I always say it might be and go see your doctor. I'm not one, but those were MY symptoms too.



There was a mom who actually said she hated her twins. She hated her life etc......I say MAJOR hormonal imbalance! JMO though, as I said, I'm not a doctor. So like Kimberly I still am on meds. There are other ways of coping sure, but when it's a chemical imbalance, you NEED a medication to balance it.





ETA: There are very safe anti-depressants out there for BF'ing moms too.

Kimberly - posted on 02/18/2012

I had trouble with depression before I fell pregnant and yes I did take meds because that is what worked for me. I knew when I had my daughter that I had ppd within a few days and I tried to get through it on my own because I didnt want people to know I had it as I felt that meant I failed as a mom. At my six week check up they did diagnose me with ppd and it was quiet bad. I was offered meds but since I was breastfeeding at the time I didnt take them because I didnt want them to effect my daughter, I asked to be reffered to a counisler to see if that would help It did help for a few months but I still didnt feel like I was in control. I fought with ppd for 18 months til my daughter finally stopped breastfeeding then went back on my old meds. I realize that for people that have never had a mental illness it does seem that we just get pills to deal with it but its not that simple. I have tried many different things that help me coupe and I still feel I need my meds not only for myself but for my family so I will be a more stable person. I did what was right by my baby which I would never change but at the end of the day I still have a mental illness and need help with it so I can be a better mother and wife to my family