been told i have postnatal depression but i don't want to take medication!?

Question

do you no of any other way i can help myself?

Answer 1

You are in a very "fragile " state right now. Giving birth is a big deal,and your body & emotions are going places it has never been before. Every women is different,each pregnancy & birth is also different.Post Partum depression is a medical emergency,and it should never be ignored.There have been some horror stories related to this illness.You & your MD should agree on the treatment.With the new meds out there,it will be safe,and they act faster with less side effects. Give these meds a chance,to help you,trust your MD.General depression is a chemical imbalance,post partum depression adds a hormonal component,and sometimes a thyroid disfunction is also a possibility.You & your newborn will benifit with you taking the best care of yourself.Lots of good info at Webmd or Google. Good luck. SW RNP

Answer 2

I know you have your reasons for not wanting to take medications but ask yourself if you still want to feel this way in 6 months,or longer! Medication will help you feel normal again, it's not addictive either. Once you get back up to speed, you can get your doc to help slow them down, and then come off them. Your brain chemicals and hormones are out of whack after childbirth. It's not your fault and you can't fix it on your own. If not, things can stay the same or get worse. Enjoy life and your little baby! Exercise can help too but the meds will give your brain the regularity it needs. Good Luck! Jennie

Answer 3

if you feel like you don't need tablets, you cant feel that bad, BUT you need to take them anyway, because if your depression gets worse at least they are in your system because they take a few weeks to work, they don't just kick in at once. Please listen to your doc because he knows best, and i am speaking from personal experience, I left it thinking I would try the natural approach, Big mistake because I got that ill I had panic attacks about going out, being left alone to only name a couple. I could nt look after the children because I could not bear to be near them, I felt so guilty, guilty about every thing and thought every one would be better of without me, and it has taken me a long time to get right, even now I still have bad episodes but not like it was. I was one of those ignorant people that thought that depression was feeling down, but when I had severe depression, I went from being a fun loving, popular person, into a shadow and became almost mute. I almost lost the ability to talk. Please don't allow yourself to get like I did!! It was pure emotional torture for my self and my family. take the pills, severe depression of any kind is the most awful thing and It kills people, It is an illness that must be treated!!

Answer 4

St Johns Wort is the natural equivalent to antidepressants so they're a possibility. I remember having depression a few years back. I can't take antidepressants myself, as I take anticonvulsants. I ended up seeing a homoeopath and that did the trick - it took four months though. Cognitive behavioural therapy is another option. I'd recommend a book called Feeling Good - I found it helpful.

Answer 5

Post natal depression is caused by hormonal imbalance usually. It can therefore easily be corrected by medication. You arent going to be on it for a lifetime, or become an addict or anything horrendous, and after a while youll be better and able to enjoy your baby the way you should. You can get better on your own, just by leaving it to correct itself, the danger being it may not, and the disadvantage being you could feel bad for a lot longer than necessary.

Answer 6

Hi

That's your choice, but you have to also consider your child and partner.

Is your depression affecting your care of your child? Is it causing stress in your relationship?

You have to understand that in life, everything we do has risks and benefits, and it's all about making the correct decisions.

The risks posed by modern antidepressants are minor compared to the devastation postnatal depression can cause.

Think about it.

Answer 7

hi lady p sorry your not feeling good. i think you should go to your gp and get pro help to understand the true extent of the problem, i know your not keen on this as a way forward for yourself, but you are really not in a position to make this call, if you forgive me for saying so, the only way forward is to diagnose the extent of the problem correctly,? that can only be done by a pro, yes you may have to take meds and try to be more positive and help yourself too, dont get hung up on what being on meds represents, the people who love you want you to be as well as you can, just as we all wish you the very best of health in the future, just look at the response of people on this site, they all care, let that be your inspiration, get well soon lady p.

Answer 8

One of the things with depression is that you don't want to take medicine for it. You need to just try to start taking it if you can. If you are totally against it, you could go to a therapist and they work with you. One is necessarily better than the other, but both together are proven to be the best possible solution.

Answer 9

counseling might help.

if you were prescriped meds, i would seriously consider taking them though. postnatal depression can be really really serious. i have a friend whose wife comitted suicide because of severe post natal depression...

do what you need to do to be there for your baby and have a long life. even if it involves taking meds for a short time.

van kedileri: stop being a self absorbed b*tch - this is a serious issue.

Answer 10

i hate taking medication but it has to be done
think of it this way if you go to counciling or self help etc etc you will have your mind on so many things at once take the meds the doc gave you and get better for your own sake and your familys
goodluck x