I experienced postpartum depression after the births of my first two children, but not with my third. This does lead me to wonder how much of the way I was feeling was actually brought about by my own body chemistry and how much of it was situational. I was very young when I had my first two daughters and my partner at the time was not exactly what one would call kind and supportive. I firmly believe that only a small amount of what I went through during those periods was as a result of actual chemical depression and that the lion's share of the anxiety and unhappiness I felt was due to the fact that I did not have the support or the love that I needed in my life at the time.
The main symptoms were feelings of anxiety and sadness, coupled with a tendency to cry a lot and to feel that I was not able to cope with motherhood. I often questioned my own ability to raise a child and felt inadequate because I was so tired and unhappy for much of the time. After a few months I began to recover, but in all honesty my emotional well being did not truly improve until I left my partner when my second daughter was just eight months old.
In contrast, I was surrounded by love and I had all the support I needed when my third child was born and although I had short periods of what I guess you would call "the baby blues" during the first few months of her life, these episodes were not exacerbated by an unhealthy or dysfunctional home environment and I found it much easier to keep them in perspective, and to recover from them quickly. So, as a result of the changes in my life, going from a cold and dysfunctional relationship to a loving and decent one, my experience of postpartum depression went from periods in which I actually felt completely hopeless and close to suicide, to just a few brief episodes of feeling anxious and tearful, which I could talk about and feel understood through, and which the love of those around me pulled me through much more quickly.
I am certainly not saying that postpartum depression is completely environmental - not by any means. I am also aware that I was lucky enough not to have all of the most prolonged or severe symptoms. It did have a profound effect on my life at the time, though, and the love and support of those close to you is, in my opinion, a truly essential component in a woman's recovery from this disorder.
I was prescribed anti-depressants after my second daughter was born, and I honestly do not think I would have been able to cope without them during the year that followed. They basically made the difference between being able to function on a daily basis and do what I needed to do, or sitting around in my dressing gown, barely able to work up the energy to feed and change my children. I stayed on them for just over two years and then reduced off them slowly after I had been feeling better for some time. For me the medication route proved to be a very positive one, but I needed to make sure that all of my own needs were being met before I truly and fully recovered. That meant reaching out to close family, friends and professionals and taking an honest look at my life and how to improve it.
In a way, the postpartum depression was a major catalyst for change in my younger years, as it encouraged me to get into both one to one and group counselling, which was arranged through my GP, and to make the changes which have ultimately led to the happy and fulfilling life I have today.
The main symptoms were feelings of anxiety and sadness, coupled with a tendency to cry a lot and to feel that I was not able to cope with motherhood. I often questioned my own ability to raise a child and felt inadequate because I was so tired and unhappy for much of the time. After a few months I began to recover, but in all honesty my emotional well being did not truly improve until I left my partner when my second daughter was just eight months old.
In contrast, I was surrounded by love and I had all the support I needed when my third child was born and although I had short periods of what I guess you would call "the baby blues" during the first few months of her life, these episodes were not exacerbated by an unhealthy or dysfunctional home environment and I found it much easier to keep them in perspective, and to recover from them quickly. So, as a result of the changes in my life, going from a cold and dysfunctional relationship to a loving and decent one, my experience of postpartum depression went from periods in which I actually felt completely hopeless and close to suicide, to just a few brief episodes of feeling anxious and tearful, which I could talk about and feel understood through, and which the love of those around me pulled me through much more quickly.
I am certainly not saying that postpartum depression is completely environmental - not by any means. I am also aware that I was lucky enough not to have all of the most prolonged or severe symptoms. It did have a profound effect on my life at the time, though, and the love and support of those close to you is, in my opinion, a truly essential component in a woman's recovery from this disorder.
I was prescribed anti-depressants after my second daughter was born, and I honestly do not think I would have been able to cope without them during the year that followed. They basically made the difference between being able to function on a daily basis and do what I needed to do, or sitting around in my dressing gown, barely able to work up the energy to feed and change my children. I stayed on them for just over two years and then reduced off them slowly after I had been feeling better for some time. For me the medication route proved to be a very positive one, but I needed to make sure that all of my own needs were being met before I truly and fully recovered. That meant reaching out to close family, friends and professionals and taking an honest look at my life and how to improve it.
In a way, the postpartum depression was a major catalyst for change in my younger years, as it encouraged me to get into both one to one and group counselling, which was arranged through my GP, and to make the changes which have ultimately led to the happy and fulfilling life I have today.
