Hi there,yes like many have already suggested I think you could be suffering from PND post natal depression,I would make an appointment to visit your local GP ,I suffered PND and anxiety attacks 11 yrs ago.Very hard time but with support and possibly some anti depressants you will start to feel better and in control in no time.Good luck.

                                                          Cham

Yes, yes and yes!!! I find it is quite related to my hormone cycle, if you have been breastfeeding, the feelings may have been suppressed for a while! Please seek medical help if you are feeling really down as it can make a huge difference. It can often get worse before it gets better without assistance. You are a busy Mum with little time to yourself, The reason you probably get antsy after being on the computer is those niggling thoughts at the back of your mind about the children, the housework, the cooking, cleaning and etc..etc.. the million things you think you HAVE to get done. If you can get some "guilt free" time ...ie: hubby, a friend, a relative, a babysitter takes the children for a while so you can do what you WANT to do rather than what you think you NEED to be doing, it makes a HUGE difference!!!! I found that every 10 weeks ( when I hit the point of EXPLODING) there are school holidays. THere are s a couple of really lovely  high school girls that  come home for the holidays and I pay them $5 -$7 per hour  to come and entertain and play with my cherub at my house so I can get everything done relatively unharrassed ( I am around, just child free!) There are no play groups, mothers groups, pre-school, child care or anything else nearby ( within an hour and half's drive) so to maintain.....relatively...m.y sanity, this is what I do! It is aan unrelenting, 24 hour 7 day a week position! Every one needs a break sometime and if there are no family close at hand or willing to give you a break, you can feel isolated and get down! It is hard and it is disheartening! There is help out there, you are not alone and no, your feelings are not unuaual! Please don't feel they are!

See a trusted GP and describe these feelings to them in as detailed a way as you can.

This is a fairly accurate description of my agitation and depression patterns shortly before I had my first major manic episode. I was in my GP's office being referred to a psychiatrist within a month, but not before I spent every cent in our bank accounts. I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder II, more commonly known as manic-depression.

This could be the first minor symptoms of any number of psychiatric illnesses, and the sooner you get some help to manage things, the easy it will be to keep under control. The last thing you want to have happen is a severe episode of some description that you have to fight back from.

Be sure to address all your feelings with your doctor. Sometimes GP's will focus of the depressive symptoms and prescribe antidepressants without exploring all of what is going on, and this can cause more problems. The more information you give, the more easily you can get help.

Good luck, my thoughts are with you. And, for what it's worth, this isn't something scary and it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. Everyone has to deal with medical issues during the course of their lives, and this might be yours. Psychiatric illnesses are much more readily treated nowadays and there is a lot of hope and support out there.

You just described me to a tee. I have anxiety and depression and sounds just like what ur experiencing.

Id be more than happy to give you some advice if youd like to Mintimail me. I promise not to tell anyone who you are either, I respect you being anon.

personally i would go and se your gp and speak to them about this. u may have PND in a mild form with anxiety. your doc can put u on a mild anti depressant that has anxiety prperties in it too. ( was on them for a year called lexapro.) u dont have to be on meds but they do make each day a bit easyer to deal with.

if u want to minti mail me feel free and we can chat. i can give u some ideas on the therepy i have had to get u throu days and be there when u need a friend.

Hugs and chin up. it gets to the best of us.

Liz

It sounds as if you may be suffering from anxiety, I have an anxiety disorder myself, mine tend to show itself in the form of panic attacks , but everyone is different and so the signs of anxiety will be different.

This is obviously making you upset and concerned so I would suggest making an appointment with your doctor. I know that you may feel that it isn't actually something physical but our emotions can affect our physical health. If you feel you may find it hard to explain to a doctor how you feel then either write a letter which you can hand to your doctor at the appointment or keep a diary leading up to the appointment. (Keeping a diary can be a great stress reliever as you are getting out all of those pent up feelings)

anxiety is a frikin pain! coping strategies for stress management are at online at sites such as www.beyondblue.org.au or www.mentalhelp.net and there is an interesting little site from the US called www.anxieties.com that i have found quite useful. try to help yourself first with this and talk to the people around you about it to see if they can help also. even if it is just an hour off from the kids when they can babysit. relaxing is key. meditation has helped me a bit too. most anxiety can be treated without medication. i dont like doctors much so i never went to one. it has taken me a long time just to let my family know how i was feeling. but talking to them about it does help alot. ::)'s from becca!

It sounds like you may have depression, which is quite common. I'd suggest you see a doctor & tell him/her how you feel. An anti-depressant might help.

If you don't  like the sound of that, try St John's Wort herbal tablets or Valarian. Both have ingredients that can help keep you calm.

Young children can tie you down & therefore make you feel the way you do. Do you get out much? If not, look into mother's groups or play groups. Usually your local community centre can put you onto these, or search the net for such groups in your area. Being around others with kids can really help.

Don't let mess in your house get to you. You're a mum, that's the most important job to have. Be a mum & enjoy it. What I mean is, have fun with your kids - the housework won't go anywhere. Do it when you feel like it. If anyone complains, tell them if they are not happy, do it themselves! It's not easy to keep up with housework when you have kids.

You might be depressed. I think I am at the moment but I tend to do a really good job of hiding it. It is only when I am around other people that make me happy do I feel happy. I even cry over stupid things... maybe talk to your doctor about the way you are feeling. If it is depression it is better to be on top of it as soon as you can rather than leave it like I did with my first pregnancy. I was depressed for 2 years and didn't tell anyone and when I finally felt better I was so mad at myself for letting it go on for so long!