Thank you for all of the support last week when I wrote about finally making the call to a therapist for help in dealing with my anxiety. It was a really tough call to make, but I know it was the right call. I think the right calls are usually the tough ones, you know?
I made a similar call in August when my dad died and I was met with a less than helpful answer. I was crushed. I felt like I was being told to choose between Emma or my mental health.
I’m talking about that experience today on Postpartum Progress as my first post as a contributing writer on the Warrior Mom Leadership Team.
My father passed away in August. As I waited for news about his arrangements, I felt the pangs of anxiety building. Knowing that I have a history of anxiety, I called the only doctor I’ve seen in 2 years–my obstetrician.
I explained to the receptionist what I was going through and that I knew I needed to get in with someone, a therapist, for treatment, but that I didn’t know where to start and the wait time would likely be too great to treat my immediate needs. I asked if they could they prescribe something to help. The nurse practitioner called me back that afternoon.
“Are you breastfeeding?”
“Yes. A few times a day. My daughter is 16 months old.”
“There’s only one medication we can give you.”Short on time? Save this post for later.
No more lost tabs, random screenshots, or digging through your browser history. Save this post and do future-you a favor.
(It's like a bookmark, but...not.)
Read the rest of “Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression: Treatment Options” at Postpartum Progress.
If you're reading this in the middle of it:
I wrote this in 2013. Postpartum depression and anxiety haven't changed since, and neither has this: You are not alone, it is not your fault, and you will get better.
Some days are going to be bad ones. Those days don't mean you're a bad mom. In the worst moments of my postpartum depression I said one line to myself so often that I eventually had it tattooed on my wrist: Finish each day. That's all you have to do today. Finish it. Tomorrow you get to start over.
If you need someone right now:
- 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text. 24/7.
- 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) — National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. Free, 24/7, English, Spanish, and 60+ other languages.
- Text HOME to 741741 — Crisis Text Line. 24/7.
- If you or your baby are in immediate danger, call 911.
For support that isn't an emergency:
- Postpartum Support International — call or text 1-800-944-4773 (Spanish text: 971-203-7773), 8am–11pm ET. This is a "warm line" of people who will listen and point you toward help near you. The PSI website also has provider directories and free online support groups.
Telling one person is the hardest part. Your partner, your mother, your friend, your doctor or your child's doctor. Say the words out loud. And remember you're not alone.
Congrats on your gig with Postpartum Progress. It is one of the only sites I have found that talks specifically about PPA, which I have had after both pregnancies. I didn’t address it at all after my first, but have now been seeing my psychologist for just over a year and I feel SO much better these days. I hope you start to feel more like yourself soon too.
I’m just now seeing your comment, but thank you for leaving it. PPA so often gets overlooked, mostly because it’s easy for people only to discuss PPD. I had PPA (and PPD) after Joshua and many people had no idea it was a thing.
My first appointment is in a week, so I’m on the road to recovery. 🙂