panic attacks since having my daughter do i have post natal depression

[natalie5555]

hey ive had panic attacks since 3 months after having my daughter. I had bad anxiety before aswell have had it since probably 9 years old. Is it possible this could be post natal depression that's caused the panic? I felt very down alot when i was pregnant and after i had her there were alot of days i would cry all the time. But i thought depression was a constant thing so im not sure. I sometimes feel ok but not completely happy i always get this feeling of dread or horrible dark thoughts alot of them about dying. They really scare me and so do physical symptoms i get too. I just wanted someone's opinion does this sound just like anxiety or is it depression too?

[lifeissweet]

HI

You sound similar to me! I too have always been very anxious even as a child. I have 4 children. After my second I got really bad panic attacks and thoughts like you describe. My baby was 5 months old before I told anyone how I felt. I was put on citalopram which really helped after a time. My son is now 5 and I have been on citalopram for all those years, as I have had more children and was advised to stay on them. I have had my fourth baby 6 months ago, and when he was around 3 months old, like yourself, it hit me again! and my dose was increased, which has helped but I think you need to do a lot of the work yourself.
I would say that because my problems started before I had any children, then my problems are not entirely related to having baby/ post natal illlness, but i think events in our lives can trigger things and make them worse for a time when we are prone to anxiety and depression anyway.
You say is it anxiety, or depression too...Id say they are both closely related anyway, and I think most people who have one also have the other to some extent..but im not a doctor! How are you feeling now and have you been to a doctor about how you are feeling?

[fluff]

I had similar aswell you can have postnatal anxiety aswell as depression. Seriously goand see your doctor mine got so bad i had a complete breakdown it took ages to get myself right. Do yo have much support from partner/family?

[natalie5555]

yeah I've been threw hell with it, ive had every symptom u can think of my hearing has even gone funny! I'm having cbt Hun, erm kind of they don't understand it