Have you suffered with post natal depression and managed to 'cure' it without going on anti depressants?

Question

If so, how severer was it and what did you do?

Many thanks.

Answer 1

Got a mild dose after first child. Crying a lot, feelings of uselessness, rubbish mother etc. Can't say I did anything about it. Dr asked me to fill in a survey regarding pnd at the time but even though I put all of the above, it was never followed up.

NHS, eh?

It eventually went away, overtaken by all the laundry, shopping and other stuff you have to do. I suppose it was personality, but I kept telling myself it was hormones playing tricks on me and that I would be fine in a few weeks. And so I was.

If you don't want to take Anti-d's, then don't. No-one can force it. You just feel even more like c**p, physically as well as mentally.

Hang in there...it WILL go away but if you feel you need help go ahead and get it, theres nothing to be lost.

Answer 2

Well, I'm not sure if it was PND as I never had it diagnosed but I was very unhappy for about 3 months after I had my daughter.  I took care of her physically but I felt nothing for her - no bond or love at all.  I never wanted to hurt her but I did find myself wishing she belonged to someone else that would be a "fit" mother to her.  I was obsessed with thoughts of my own death - in my head I knew I had given birth to a new life so surely my own life would now decline and eventually end?  Sounds weird but it made perfect sense at the time!  I got out of it with help from my partner and my family.  My partner made me talk about how I was feeling every single day and members of my family phoned me daily; basically just to tell me I was great mum!  My sister was a great help - she had suffered PND a few years previously so she knew what I was feeling.  Eventually, I started to "wake up".  Little things at first - e.g I got my appetite back.  Then one day I found myself laughing at my daughter and kissing her on her head.  That was the end of it, really.  I now adore my daughter and we have the most amazing bond.  Sometimes I can tell what she's going to do before she does it and her Daddy says she looks at the door a second before I walk in.  You can do this and get out the other side, but with hindsight I think it is a lot easier if you get help from your doctor.  Good luck!  

Answer 3

No I didnt try cure it without antidepressants, I didnt take the antidepressants til my daughter was 11 months old though, and it just got progressively worse. The antidepressants made me better in 9 months, I don't know what they actually did, but they chilled me out until I was able to deal with the normal pressures of everyday life again.

Answer 4

i howled, cried, ate, cursed my husband for my state of health and everything went normal again

Answer 5

i was given the anti depressants but was told about all the side effects so didn't take them, i found what helped was having someone to talk to and asking for help when i thought i couldn't cope with everything, before that i was trying to deal with everything on my own, it takes time but you get there and honestly coming out the other side makes you stronger xx

Answer 6

Yes i have, i withdrew from my daughter because i was scared of her.

Unfortunately i never got it diagnosed and it got worse - she's nearly 4 and i have been diagnosed with depression (6 months ago) but felt antidepressants for were my only option just to get me on an even keel before facing my problems without them.

Obviously other issues have contributed to the post natal depression too making it a little more complicated.