OT update on this week's crisis

Thank you all so much for your kind comments and prayers.

For those of you that weren't clear, I am definitely in treatment for my
depression, I'm on meds, see a psychotherapist and have been recommended
a group therapy that I should join, which starts in October.

One of the problems has been that my husband is the kind of man that
calls a spade a spade, it's not that he doesn't care about my
depression, but he can't really evaluate my mood and probably wouldn't
change how he treated me anyway. I think he is verging on being unable
to see depression as an illness and purely thinks that it's a matter of
fixing problems.

There are a lot of problems that I can work on, but it will be a slow
process, meanwhile, I'm still ill, I'm doing very well, but I'm on a
huge dose of medication, which can sometimes create problems of it's own.

Rather frustratingly, as CPS did assign us a social worker, because he
couldn't see us until today and my psychiatrist doesn't work Fridays,
I'm not supposed to be alone with the kids until he has spoken with her.
Despite her saying to both of us on Wednesday that I'm not a risk to the
kids and that she wouldn't be saying that unless she was 100% confident
of it as professionally, if she was wrong, it would be disasterous for her.

This will make Monday morning challenging, having to get two kids to
schools in opposite directions, then me to an appointment with the
psychiatrist, a task that would usually mean I took one kid and the baby
and DH took the other. Hopefully the necessary phone calls will happen
on Monday and we'll no longer have that hanging over us.

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted, I'm sleeping very badly and the constant round
of meetings is emotionally exhausting, I could see my husband's regret
and disappointment when I said I have to rest this afternoon.

Weather forecast is fantastic for this weekend, so we could really do
with a gentle family activity, but I'm all out of ideas!

Cheers
Anne

Small backyard picnic? Or small picnic somewhere that walking and a
stroller can get you to? (local park, for example).

--pig


On 9/11/09 21:06, in article , "Anne
Rogers" wrote:

Weather forecast is fantastic for this weekend, so we could really do
with a gentle family activity, but I'm all out of ideas!

libraries were always a fun trip for the kids.
A picnic with a kite. We had a few paper hat
parties. Just making paper hats out of old sunday
comics. the photos of those are a hoot.
Taria
"Listpig" wrote in message
...
Small backyard picnic? Or small picnic somewhere that walking and a
stroller can get you to? (local park, for example).

--pig


On 9/11/09 21:06, in article ,
"Anne
Rogers" wrote:

Weather forecast is fantastic for this weekend, so we could really do
with a gentle family activity, but I'm all out of ideas!

Listpig wrote:
Small backyard picnic? Or small picnic somewhere that walking and a
stroller can get you to? (local park, for example).

--pig


On 9/11/09 21:06, in article , "Anne
Rogers" wrote:

Weather forecast is fantastic for this weekend, so we could really do
with a gentle family activity, but I'm all out of ideas!

Great minds think alike Pig. I was going to suggest a picnic where
everyone (skilled enough to do so) makes and takes their own favourite
sandwich (i.e. Anne you don't have to do it all), a box of little sweet
tomatoes, a couple of bottles of soda, some pastries from the bakery,
some fruit & a couple of outdoor games. Take it near or far and enjoy.

If that type of thing doesn't suit I hope you do find something you can
all do together that brings you all closer.

Lizzy

There's a really good book on depression that your DH might want to
read: http://www.noondaydemon.com/.
Glad things are going a bit better for you -hang in there!
Roberta in D

On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:06:22 -0700, Anne Rogers
wrote:

Thank you all so much for your kind comments and prayers.

For those of you that weren't clear, I am definitely in treatment for my
depression, I'm on meds, see a psychotherapist and have been recommended
a group therapy that I should join, which starts in October.

One of the problems has been that my husband is the kind of man that
calls a spade a spade, it's not that he doesn't care about my
depression, but he can't really evaluate my mood and probably wouldn't
change how he treated me anyway. I think he is verging on being unable
to see depression as an illness and purely thinks that it's a matter of
fixing problems.

There are a lot of problems that I can work on, but it will be a slow
process, meanwhile, I'm still ill, I'm doing very well, but I'm on a
huge dose of medication, which can sometimes create problems of it's own.

Rather frustratingly, as CPS did assign us a social worker, because he
couldn't see us until today and my psychiatrist doesn't work Fridays,
I'm not supposed to be alone with the kids until he has spoken with her.
Despite her saying to both of us on Wednesday that I'm not a risk to the
kids and that she wouldn't be saying that unless she was 100% confident
of it as professionally, if she was wrong, it would be disasterous for her.

This will make Monday morning challenging, having to get two kids to
schools in opposite directions, then me to an appointment with the
psychiatrist, a task that would usually mean I took one kid and the baby
and DH took the other. Hopefully the necessary phone calls will happen
on Monday and we'll no longer have that hanging over us.

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted, I'm sleeping very badly and the constant round
of meetings is emotionally exhausting, I could see my husband's regret
and disappointment when I said I have to rest this afternoon.

Weather forecast is fantastic for this weekend, so we could really do
with a gentle family activity, but I'm all out of ideas!

Cheers
Anne

Loads of prayers and good thoughts coming your way. Postpartum
depression is nothing to take lightly. And it affects so many of us.

Sunny

onetexsun wrote:
Loads of prayers and good thoughts coming your way. Postpartum
depression is nothing to take lightly. And it affects so many of us.

I know, so why is it that few people take the time to understand it? It
has been heart breaking for me how a certain group of people at my
church have handled thing, I've probably lost a very dear friend over
this, but even worse I now fear talking to anyone at church about
anything specific, because I feel like I'm being observed and monitored
and that that friend might step in to prevent me from seeking help from
others as she believes that she has previously enabled me in my
negativity, which I don't feel she has, in fact I believe she's saved my
life. This is so hard and I'm so confused over my faith, I admitted
months back that I was struggling in my faith because I felt that my
brain compartmentalised and shut down the non essential parts and I
believed that faith was an essential part, but my mind didn't
necessarily allow that, but the help I saught didn't turn out to be help
at all. Because some of this has come from the leadership of the church,
I'm challenged as to whether this church is the right place for me at
all, but we have so many friends there and it's fantastic for our kids.

You can probably tell, I'm struggling today, I woke up physically not
great, I'm emotionally drained, I feel I should be either doing things
with the kids, or at least getting on with some household or admin
tasks, yet I'm struggling even to sit here and type this.

Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:
onetexsun wrote:
Loads of prayers and good thoughts coming your way. Postpartum
depression is nothing to take lightly. And it affects so many of us.

I know, so why is it that few people take the time to understand it?

Unfortunately, in America, we are under-educated about it. In Europe it
is a more recognized and understood condition.

It
has been heart breaking for me how a certain group of people at my
church have handled thing, I've probably lost a very dear friend over
this, but even worse I now fear talking to anyone at church about
anything specific, because I feel like I'm being observed and monitored
and that that friend might step in to prevent me from seeking help from
others as she believes that she has previously enabled me in my
negativity, which I don't feel she has, in fact I believe she's saved my
life. This is so hard and I'm so confused over my faith, I admitted
months back that I was struggling in my faith because I felt that my
brain compartmentalised and shut down the non essential parts and I
believed that faith was an essential part, but my mind didn't
necessarily allow that, but the help I saught didn't turn out to be help
at all. Because some of this has come from the leadership of the church,
I'm challenged as to whether this church is the right place for me at
all, but we have so many friends there and it's fantastic for our kids.

You can probably tell, I'm struggling today, I woke up physically not
great, I'm emotionally drained, I feel I should be either doing things
with the kids, or at least getting on with some household or admin
tasks, yet I'm struggling even to sit here and type this.

Anne


(((((((Hugs)))))))))

Michelle in Nevada

Unfortunately, in America, we are under-educated about it. In Europe it
is a more recognized and understood condition.

Well, I'm from the UK and I can't honestly say my experience there was
much different, my parents are fairly clueless about depression. The
friend I'm having particular trouble with right now, lived in England
for a long time and a mutual friend there had very servere postpartum
depression. Several mutual friends here have also had issues, so it's
very confusing how harsh she is being right now.

Cheers
Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:

Unfortunately, in America, we are under-educated about it. In Europe
it is a more recognized and understood condition.

Well, I'm from the UK and I can't honestly say my experience there was
much different, my parents are fairly clueless about depression. The
friend I'm having particular trouble with right now, lived in England
for a long time and a mutual friend there had very servere postpartum
depression. Several mutual friends here have also had issues, so it's
very confusing how harsh she is being right now.

I think it is still something most people have heard of but have no idea
of how it manifests itself, so they do not know how to handle it when a
friend or family member is suffering from it. I have a friend who was
hospitalised with it after the birth of each of her two children.
However even having been treated for depression myself in the past I
find it hard to get my mind round it being that severe.

Try not to let her pressure into moving forward faster than you are
ready to and if something seems like a big step for you don't let her
belittle it. She obviously really doesn't understand what you are going
through - I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced it really does,
but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Hugs from over here in the UK - where the sun has finally come out for
several days in a row!

Lizzy