Postnatal

Do you feel that something just isn't right...that you just don't feel yourself? Could post-natal depression be a possibility?
Depression is often considered in terms of mild, moderate and severe.

Mild depression is diagnosed if you have 'low mood' or ‘loss of interest or pleasure' in your relationships and surroundings and three of the other symptoms. However, if you have mild depression you are probably able to carry out your every day activities.. 

Severe depression is diagnosed if you have ‘low mood' or ‘loss of interest or pleasure in your relationships and surroundings and also have 7 or more symptoms. Sometimes slowing down of your movements and speech. Someone who has a severe depression will be in a highly dysfunctional state, not be able to carry out their every day activities and often have distressing feelings of worthlessness and guilt, they may also have suicidal thoughts.

Severe depression is diagnosed if you have ‘low mood' or ‘loss of interest or pleasure in your relationships and surroundings and also have 7 or more symptoms. Sometimes slowing down of your movements and speech. Someone who has a severe depression will be in a highly dysfunctional state, not be able to carry out their every day activities and often have distressing feelings of worthlessness and guilt, they may also have suicidal thoughts.

Symptomen: 
– Low mood
– Loss of interest or pleasure in your relationships or surroundings.
– Constantly feeling tired. No energy ( NB: ask your GP about a thyroid function blood test and a full blood count to rule out anaemia or hypothyroidism)
– Sleeping problems - can't get to sleep or waking in the early hours and not being able to get back to sleep – Crying a lot, often over the smallest things or for no reason at all
– Can't eat or over-eating
– Physical aches and pains, such as headaches, stomach pains or blurred vision and worrying that it is something terminal or serious
– Lack of motivation to get up and do anything , feel things are piling up around you.
– A constant underlying sense of anxiety maybe escalating into panic attacks. Easily "set off" and difficult to calm down
– Difficulty concentrating, say on a book or film or even on a conversation
– Putting on a front. Feeling like you are playing out a role rather than just living the moment
–Feeling lonely and isolated. Perhaps feeling rejected by friends, family, even your partner and your baby or children. Or avoiding going out and meeting people.
– Sense of feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
–No interest in sex
– Feeling guilty about everything - especially wondering if you are being a bad mother
–Overly anxious and over protective of your baby
– Feeling emotionally disconnected from or even rejected by your baby.
– Strange, frightening thoughts or visions popping into your head about harming yourself or the baby or awful things happening