Do meds really work?

[GeorgeousGirlBubbas]

I dont know if i have postnatal depression from my previous pregancy or pre natal....i am 33 weeks and feel awful, crying alot and very angry. I go through bouts of these feelings high and really low, hence the reason i can not take the pill cause i turn into an animal! :eek:

I am arguing with my DH all the time and have lost contact with a couple of my friends because i feel like i cant hold a conversation with them cause they dont have kids. Why have i become like that, i should be able to talk to anyone but when they dont have kids i feel like an alien.

Its such a lonely horrible feeling, DH knows that i am prone to depression (it runs in the family also) but i have never treated it, firstly because he says it is weak to take meds and it is 'mind over matter' and secondly because i took them for two days and felt terrible. I keep thinking i should try some type of self help books or something instead..... I know that once i have bub 3 i will need to do something about it, the babies will be 17 months apart and that alone will be hard enough. I also want to breastfeed but am cautious of taking anything while i do.

Does medication really work and how long until you notice the effects? Id love to overcome this drug free if possible, but not sure of what other options i have.

I feel so stupid, DH didn't want baby 3 but he accepted it and has tried to stay positive the whole time and now that i am depressed and angry all the time it only makes him think worse of me. I can see that he has had enough and he said yesterday that he isn't happy at all. We should go to counselling but it is so expensive and will it help?

I just want to feel happy again and try to get my relationship back on track.

[floggadog]

:hugs: Zosaloo I haven't been on the meds & I hope someone will answer you with that info.
Bit about me. I've had depresssion (undiagnosed) On & off for years. I was diagnosed with PND at my 6 week check up with the CHN. She gave me the Edinburgh score sheet to fill out & Bingo:rolleyes:.
You need to put yourself first here. If you are not mentally & physically healthy you can't be expected to function normally (whatever that is)
Have a chat with your CHN or doctor. Make sure they know your concerns about meds. You don't have to take them.
I'm not sure where you are but in WA you can get a doctors referal to have 12 free councelling sessions. Whether you have to be on a health care card or not, I'm not sure.
A member of my local PND group was able to pick the councellor of her choice with this scheme.
Ask what help there is in your area. There may be a PND group which is a wonderful thing in my experience as the members know what you are going through.
As for your hubby - it comes down to lack of knowledge. Mine wasn't as bad as yours but still had no idea. He does now.:)
A couple of references for you to look at would be the beyond blue website (http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=94)& relationships Australia (http://www.relationships.com.au/).
I hope you find the help you need soon. There is help out there, you just need to know where to look:hugs:

[GeorgeousGirlBubbas]

Thank you for your advice it is very helpful, I will look up a few websites. Im sure there are other ways of dealing with this to start out with other than taking medication. Do you have a group you meet with every week or so? What wonderful support that must be.
Thanks again :hugs:

[floggadog]

When I was diagnosed it was suggested I talk to a mental health lady in the next town. (can't remember her job title)
She runs a group for which a program was developed by 2 WA drs/phsychiatrist type people called Bouncing Back. It's based in St John of God hosp in Perth. more info here (http://www.mental.health.wa.gov.au/one/images/event/184/Postnatal%20anxiety%20and%20depression%20therapeut ic%20group%20information.pdf).
The course ran for 8 weeks & from that the group of ladies have kept in contact either with 1 other member or more.
I don't think this course is offered in other states but I would hope there was something similar out there.
I was also posting in the Depression Chat (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=120652&goto=newpost)thread. I've not been there for a while now but I found it extremely relieving to talk to other Mums & vent when needed.
These girls will beable to help you more. :)

[mama kare]

speaking from the view that i am sure i am now safely over PND..

meds were good for me in the sense that they zonked me out a bit so i wasnt emotional, yet i was un-emotional. you have to make sure you're at the right balance with your doses.

they didnt block my thoughts, but more or less masked my feelings a little so i felt stronger/ had less to worry about.

then, when i felt at my strongest and had been on medication for a bit past DD's 2nd birthday.. i went off them.

(It's been 1 month since)

And I feel great!

Depends how you look at it really. Im sure there are plenty of women out there who got through PND with no medication... though if you take the medication you are sure to recover a little faster from it AND just remind yourself that you are better off taking them than to be at risk of hurting your child or yourself!!

i was at a very low point where i was looking for ways out of my life.. so i had to take medication. along with this treatment, i was referred to see a psychiatrist who has been amazing in my recovery! after having PND for 2 years.. I finally feel 'myself' again.

No matter how anti-medication you are.. you have to weigh up the options.. it can take months for you to find a good anti-depressant that works for you, but you will recover much faster once you find the one that suits you.

[punkbaby]

Meds combined with counselling help immensily....i found that if i stuck to this eventually i was able to rely on either meds alone or counselling alone. At the moment i am free of both but i know this anxiety is starting to creep up again so i will see if counselling knocks it first

[GeorgeousGirlBubbas]

Punkbaby, i think mine also has alot to do with anxiety/panic attacks too. I have become very unsocial like i cant talk face to face with people anymore :(

Anyway DH and i have deceided to go to a relationship counselling session together just to talk things out and work out why i feel the way i do, we should be able to see her within the next two weeks.

Then hopefully when bubs is born we are going to take part in an eight week course 1 night a week. I think this will help immensley, so i will take that avenue first and hope for the best. Id prefer to stay off the meds for now.

Thanks for all your replies it is greatly appreciated :)

[Meemo]

:hugs: to you hun...

I understand how you feel...

I've battled depression on and off since my early teens, it's not nice at all. I also had pretty bad PND, and anxiety disorder also....

I also lost contact with a lot of my friends who didn't have kids, I think that can be natural. I hated listening to their 'dramas' about guys etc, when I had a little one that was my 'drama'. They never understood, and never wanted to. So I moved on.
I also shut myself off completely, and just dealt with myself, DP, bub and close family. I couldn't handle being around anyone else, my anxiety levels would sky rocket.

As for your DH, I understand also. Your DH sounds like he is doing the best he can to be supportive of you, which is great. And the fact that you're going to seek counselling together is also another great step.... :thumbsup:
We are in the throws of TTC (well I am, he's just letting 'nature take it's course')... Every time I have a 'panic attack' or feel down, or snap, whatever I get the 'and you want to have another child' slapped in m face.. Just lovely...

It's so tough to be feeling this way. And it's so hard for people who haven't experienced (particularly partners) it to understand what you are feeling, especially when I know I don't understand most of it myself! :hair:

I've never been on meds for longer than a week, I tried 2 different lots and both of them made me feel horrile... So no help from me there either... SORRY.... :no:

Good Luck....
I hope it all works out for you... :fingerscrossed:
x x

[Primrose]

Hi Zosaloo
I did go on meds for 10wks when I had PND/anxiety in the first few months after I had DD. they did help but i went off them due to side effects (mainly putting on heaps of weight, on top of my huge baby-weight gain! a bit vain hey! :)) also I felt I could beat it without meds... but that's not to say it's a bad thing to take them, I say do whatever you need to, to get through it. it's no different to taking medicine for a cold etc. I was having panic attacks at the shops & they totally stopped that happening & I think gave me some breathing space to get myself back on track.

The only thing I would be cautious about is the fact that it can take a while to get on the right ones, they put me on an anti-anxiety one first off & it made me go CRAZY, I swear I thought i was losing my mind, they kept me awake all night & having weird thoughts, luckily my GP took me off them pretty quick & tried something else that worked straight away. I found daily exercise really helped, plus self-help/positive affirmation type books & just simply taking one day at a time. Also I had some counselling (but again, took a while to find a good counsellor, so shop around if not happy with the first one) Also the obvious stuff like talking to supportive friends & having breaks from bub etc to go do 'normal' stuff with girlfriends. Also just time & being gentle on yourself...you WILL recover so hang in there!:yes: