mental illnes in pregnancy?? I WANT TO KNOW IM NOT ALONE

[RoneeDownwind]

I recently posted about this under an old accout that i created recently and now have no idea how i forgot my password or to even get back into it!!! ANYWAY,,is their any mothers out their who suffer mental illness and have problems coping?? I suffer sever anxiety major depressive disorder,,Post traumatic disorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder all diagnosed,,whe im pregnant ALL these juss come to the surface and suck me into despair,,where i feel hopless,,i am in therapy once a week just started prozac (i didnt want to but i have been trying self help techniques all month and NONE have been working) anywho I feel alone and want other mothers who deal with similar issues so we can help eachother thru,,give eachother hope..right now i am struggling BAD and not coping well AT HOME at all..I am halfway thru this pregnancy with my 5th baby,,am a stay at home mother with 4 awesome kids,,and i need more help suggestions support PLEASE,,i want to know i am not alone..i suffer intrusive scary thoughts that i cannot control or stop that cause BAD panic attacks and horrible horrible feelings of guilt among other things...i want to know i am not alone..please support only : (

[Mosaic]

You're not alone. I was severely depressed throughout my first pregnancy, which turned into crippling PPD. 5 years and a second baby later, I'm still on sertraline. It's far more common than we know, as so many women feel they have to suffer in silence.

Keep reaching out! Stay in close contact with your doctor, and if the meds don't work after the adjustment period, talk to your doctor because there may be others you can try that are safe in pregnancy. You don't have to live like this!

[annaknitsspock]

Mama, I just wanted to send along some good thoughts and reassure you that you are not alone. I have anxiety and OCD and suffered from PPD for about a year. I know the guilt is so overpowering, but we have to try to accept that our feelings and those horrible intrusive thoughts are not our fault. As mosaic said, keep in close contact with your doctor and monitor your meds. You are most certainly not alone! 

[RoneeDownwind]

thanks so much ladies its so comfortinf and reassuring to hear from women like me...well that are in the same boat...i have been on prozac for about 2 1/2 weeks and still no improvement i wake up everyday with intrusive thoughts that cause panic attacks and then that juss pretty much ruins my entire day,,i cannot watch tv cuz i am so sensitive the whats being said or whats going on i apply it to my situation, and or else even if theres a death on tv it upsets me extremely juss a month ago i was fine able to enjoy life and watch tv normally laugh smile when something happened now its like im on auto pilot and i hate it im in therapy once a week i want more my kids father has been helping me out by doing our own therapy sessions at home here,,lol,,it works but its temporary..i appreciate you ladies kind words and it gives me hope i will one day be me again!!!

[birdhappy85]

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Edited by birdhappy85 - 4/27/13 at 6:50pm

[IndisposableMom]

You are most definitely not alone.  Unfortunately, people just don't talk about these things.  I am not currently pregnant, but I suffered from severe anxiety and depression through both of my pregnancies.  With my first, I was able to manage it with just therapy because I was working outside the home and had a lot to distract me.  During my second pregnancy, I needed Zoloft in addition to therapy.  It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.  I cried while making the appointment to go see my dr; I cried the whole way there and the whole way home.  I felt like a complete failure.  But that was just the illness talking.  Now that I am removed from the feelings a bit, I am so proud of myself for taking the medication.  It takes tremendous strength to admit when you need help, and I knew in my heart then and now that medication was in my baby's best interest. 

Trust me, you are NOT alone in this.  Anxiety and depression are bastards and they don't leave us alone just because we are pregnant.