Depression and Anxiety - Fort Worth,TX

Please go see a doctor and at least talk about this. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you are having these issues. I know someone close to me who went through this after her first child - started as post partum but she had a hard time getting over it. It was not until she talked to a doctor, therapy and some medicines for her to get out of it. Before she got better it was so difficult on the family and her daughter even picked up on the stress and sadness in the family.

Please see someone to get some help with these issues.

Good luck!

I am struggling with the same thing. The more moms you talk to about this the more you realize are struggling with the same thing. I would start crying at 2 pm everyday and couldn't get it to stop. I was also sure one of my kids (I have 3) was going to die on my watch or that I was going to die. If you have been struggling with it for more than two weeks get help. Here is what I did: I had my mom, a good friend who had struggled , and my husband check in on me for 2 wks. I changed my diet, tried to sleep more and did yoga. It still didn't help so I am on Zoloft b/c I am breastfeeding my 6 month old. My primary care doctor and my sister who is also a doc (at Yale) recommended something else which would work better but because of breastfeeding I stuck w/ Zoloft. Depression comes on for lots of reasons: nutrition, lack of sleep and hormones all play into it. Also, realize that there is a very protective instinct to take care of your child and not yourself. Set up a plan and get help. You can do it!!!

I have sturggled with depression and anxiety ever since highschool. Sometimes I am on meds when it gets really bad other times just talking to a doctor helps. I hate taking meds so I try to get by without them BUT there have been time it is the only thing to help level me out and be myself which I am truely thankful for.

The doctors have heard it all before so do not be ashamed to talk to them, they are trained to help you. Secondly the people who really care about you will support you in going. I think people thought I was crazy during my really troubled times but once on the right meds everything leveled out and they saw who I really am.

Sometimes depressiona dn anxiety can not be handle by oneselfs and there is help out there, you seem to have good support from our mom (maybe husband too) and with a child it will help you create a better enviorment if mom (you) take care of yourself first. I have always thought I need to put myself last to make sure that the family is taken care of first BUT I can not help others if I do not help myself first. A healthy and happy mom makes a happy family.

You have a lot of support here! Good for you for speaking up! I just want to second some suggestions I saw in your responses.
1. Yoga has been an incredible release for me. It is my time to relax and start over. I feel like I get a restart every time I go and I look forward to it. check out www.corepoweryoga.com They have a work for trade program where you can clean the studio once a week for a couple hours in exchange for free, unlimited yoga.
2. Anti-depressants can help in the short-term to help you get back up on your feet, or long-term if you need them to maintain balance and stability in your life. Millions of people are on medications, so try to have judgment on yourself.
3. I know of an herbal supplement that may help lift your mood without psychotropic medications. Its called Luminex and made by Melaleuca if you want to research it. Look at www.melaleuca.com Let me know if you are interested or have any questions.
I will keep you in my thoughts.

I didn't have this problem with either of my kids but a lot of women experience this and it is nothing to be ashamed of. The sooner you see a doctor the happier you and your family will be. It is a personal matter that only you and your family would know about so I wouldn't worry about other people thinking you are crazy. I haven't met a "normal" person yet. =) I do know someone that is suffering from this and believe it or not helps kids with therapy but refuses to recognize that she needs help. Their kids are 4 and 6 now and she hasn't been the same since the first kid. It is causing huge problems with their family and marriage. See a doctor and be happy that you are strong enough to recognize your issues and that you want to fix it. You will be happy again, don't wait.

I need to add on to Allie M's response. My sister was on Zoloft for a long time due to depression and forgot to take it for 3 days and almost went into seisure like convultions. Please be very careful with Zoloft and don't forget to take it. When you are ready to try getting off the medicine, work with your doctor. They usually would slowly lower the dose to wein you off. They did this with my mother in law on prozac too.

Just because you go to the doctor for depression/anxiety people will not think you are crazy. You would be surprised how many people take meds for depression and anxiety. If you will go get some help your husband and child will see the real you. i take zoloft because i had graves disease. I do not like to take meds everyday but i should. If i go a couple of day without taking it I can tell the difference in me. So i try to take it and i feel a lot better when i do. I an not crazy, you are not crazy. We are smart for taking care of ourselfes. Their are others who can not go to the doctors becasue of financial hardship. I am very thankful that God has blessed me with finances, mind, body and strength to take care of myself. Hope this help. Laughter does good just like a medicine but you still need to go to the doctor.

hey sweetie pie, i think the majority of these posts tell you to not be ashamed. Easier said than done, but they're all right, okay? For me, day to day stressors cause intermittent anxiety and depression - but you add a hubby and a baby (toddler, teen, whatever) on top of that and life can be REAL hard sometimes. Your doctor will not treat you like you're crazy and will probably just give you some anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety meds to try. It takes awhile to get in your system (maybe a couple of weeks), but before you know it (if it's the right med for ya') you'll start crying less, feeling isolated, getting nervous, or whatever your sytmptoms are. I hope you do start feeling better, whether you go the med route, or the yoga/meditation route. You deserve to not be so down and anxious. And if your mom thinks you should see a doctor...well, you know moms, they're pretty much always right!
Good luck darling, and please do not be ashamed. Believe me, there are a LOT more people than you would ever know that are dealing w/the same thing and just don't talk about it or ask people about it. You are very strong for recognizing a difference in yourself and wanting to make it better.

Hang in there and I wish you the best! :)

I know exactly how you feel ! But believe me when I say - along with all these other women - the doctors have seen and heard this a million times ! No one will think you are crazy. Mine started out as post partum but after about a year - and a ton of other issues that cropped up - I had problems with both depression and aniexty. It is so much better being on the meds that without ! I am a much better mom and wife. FYI - I am on Cymbalta and have been for several years now. I do agree with one of the other moms here - be sure you don't miss a dose of your medication. When I have by accident - I can get sick and dizzy. Just me but I do know there are some side effects to these meds but to me they are well worth it. Good luck and I hope you feel better !

I will reiterate...Don't be ashamed! I went through this after the birth of both of my boys and now it comes back everytime I get off the medication. So I will probably be on it for the rest of my life. It made me feel better to go to a female dr for my initial consult and she recommended a female therapist who specializes in women's issues. You can't be a good mom and wife if you aren't taking care of yourself first.

PLEASE DON'T BE ASHAMED!!!!

We all go through periods of this from time to time. The hardest part is going to a doctor, but once they're able to appropriately diagnose what the issue is, you'll feel so much better.

If you go to your Family Practitioner/Internist, they'll likely get you started on a medication (SSRIs are most popular - Selective Seratonin Re-uptake Inhibitors such as Cymbalta, Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil). There are pros and cons to each - if that's the route you go, please understand the side effects before getting started.

When I finished chemo a year ago and received a clean bill of health, I found I couldn't manage being a mom and a cancer survivor on my own. I went to a therapist my Oncologist recommended. He helped put a lot of things into perspective for me. I chose not to be on medication at that time (I have been on several in the past) because I wanted to learn to deal with my issues on my own.

Good luck! Depression is HUGELY common. I used to sell for a pharmaceutical company, and depression/anxiety meds are some of the most commonly-prescribed on the market.

Yes you should definitely see a psychiatrist who can diagnose you and possibly prescribe you medication. Depression and anxiety are real and neither are your fault. There is help out there and it is possible to feel better. You can also ask the psychiatrist to refer you to a therapist for talk therapy. I have done all of these things and I am so glad I did. I had postpartum depression after the birth of my son and it was one of the worst things I have ever been through. Not sure if that is what you are going through, but either way, yes please do seek out help. Good luck to you. Lean on your mom and husband for support and to help you find a doctor if necessary.

First of all, no one will think your crazy. Sometimes we have a hard time dealing with things in our lives and need a little help; whether it is talking to someone/ taking meds/ etc.....
If these things are truly affecting your life and if you can feel comfortable enough- talk to a doctor you can trust-
You have to take care of you so you can be your best for your family-
Take care-

You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of!!! You need to realize this, and begin telling yourself that until you finally believe it. Yes, you should absolutely see a doctor. You don't have to share with anyone else that you are seeing a doctor if you don't want to. But by seeing a doctor and asking for help, you can be the wife and mother that you want to be. Another way to think about it is this, if your child had a problem that needed a professional to assist with, wouldn't you do everything in your power to get the help that he/she needed? You know the answer is yes. So, won't you do the same thing for his/her mother?
I will also share that I have battled depression for over 13 years. It took me a long time to realize that I didn't choose to be that way. There was a chemical imbalance/hormone issue. I couldn't do anything myself to change that. And, I didn't do anything to cause it. With medication that has required changes/adjustments over the years, I can deal with the depression fairly well.
Good luck! And if you would like to talk privately, please just send me a personal message and I would be more than happy to talk with you!

I have an idea you could try. If this fails, I would still go and see a doctor about it. I was feeling pretty depressed and I would get angry at the drop of a hat, but I started doing Yoga.. specifically, a TV show that comes on at 8:30am on FIT tv called Namaste Yoga. Ever since I started it, I've felt much better and more like myself. It can't hurt to try. Also, exercise of ANY type releases endorphins which make you feel better. Plus, it's cheaper than your doctor visit.

It's hard being a mom, wife, and all around super-hero. In my opinion, depression and anxiety are par for the course. Everyone handles things differently, and if these feelings are making it difficult to go about business as usual there is help out there. You are not crazy, and getting help is a sure sign of that. It's hard sometimes as a mom to do for yourself, but just think of what a better mom you can be if you feel good. Good luck, and hang in there!