Postnatal depression affects so many new mothers and the reason many fear postnatal depression treatment is that it means they firstly have to accept that they are struggling and secondly they fear the outcome. What happens if they speak out?
Is asking for postnatal depression treatment a sign of failure? Of course it is not, it is to be seen only as taking a positive step to recovering from this evil mental health illness. Postnatal depression is not something you can just snap out of and PND treatment is there to help you.
I have suffered with postnatal depression after the birth of 4 of my children, I did seek help for 3 of those and I was prescribed antidepressants. While the medication did help me, I found that talking therapy was what helped me the greatest. Not all GP’s are quick to refer you for this and sometimes you do have to fight for it.
The postnatal depression I suffered from that I left untreated after giving birth to my 4th baby resulted in me wanting to hurt my baby. I strongly advise that if you feel you may have PND to seek help straight away and not just leave it in the hope it will get better.
There are a variety of treatments available and you have the last say in which treatment is right for you. Not every woman is keen to take antidepressants and this is an area that you can talk over with your health professional. Your GP will be able to answer any questions or fears you have.
When you are suffering from postnatal depression you require the support from your loved ones, this can be your partner or from a close family member or friends. Speak out to someone you trust and ask them to help you. It is so easy to bottle everything up inside and push your loved ones away. There are many myths that surround PND and it is no longer considered a huge deal if you have it, you’re doing just fine, you just need some extra support,
While antidepressants are useful and there are some antidepressants that are safe to take while breastfeeding, there are other treatments that are just as good and these come in the form of talking therapies. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a personal favourite of mine and I personally found that learning as much as I could about PND helped me to understand that it was not my fault at all.
If you think you have postnatal depression speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor as soon as possible.
Useful Related Content:
NHS - Postnatal depression Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
The Royal College Of Psychiatrist’s – This leaflet is for anyone wants to know more about postnatal depression
