Mental Health Check In 1/2

[penguin129]

Paging: smallpotato britta macaronmama @kitchen mg0202

Diagnosis/personal issue or struggle:

Recent related difficulties/vent:

What you're working on/trying to do/would like to do to improve your recent difficulties/mental health:

QOTW/GTKY: Not mental health related this week-What is one goal you have for the New Year ?

[mg0202]

Anxiety

I was (or thought I was) doing better. I hadn't had any panic attacks or felt anxious. I decided to wean off the Zoloft. Did not go so well. I picked a really bad time. I had just gone back to work, my family came to visit for the holidays, DH was in a car accident that totaled the car (he was fine) and we had to get a new one, we had electric problems and had no lights in the kitchen for a few days until we could get an electrician out, and the usual holiday stress. Yep too much for me. Feeling anxious again, had a couple small panic attacks. Started back on the Zoloft and feeling better again. Once things settle down we get on a better routine, and DS starts sleeping through the night I will try again.

QOTW: I need to lose the rest of the baby weight and the 10lbs I should have list before getting pregnant. I am really unhappy with how my body looks right now.

[penguin129]

Sending you ladies hugs @kitchen & mg0202.

[britta]

Diagnosis/personal issue or struggle: Generalized anxiety, possible PPA/PPD

Recent related difficulties/vent: I've been feeling pretty good, actually. I feel like the panic attacks are less frequent lately and I don't feel quite so irritable. I'm not sure what the change has been, although, although I did get my PP period today, so maybe my hormones have finally leveled out. I struggle mostly with irritability towards DS1, which makes me feel incredibly guilty. He really is a good kid and I'm sure I expect way too much from him. He just happens to be an easy target for my frustration since, of the two kids, he's the one who should be able to control himself. I feel shitty writing that. I need to be easier on him. He's such a good boy. I just can't handle this acting like a dog phase.

What you're working on/trying to do/would like to do to improve your recent difficulties/mental health: Daily walks when H gets home to decompress. I don't even listen to music. Just me and the dog and the silence. I do really need to find a PCP because I still think I need an antidepressant to level me out. Although, now that I've started my period, I may see how I do back on my BCP. Historically, that has helped level me out too.

QOTW/GTKY: The usual goal for someone who is PP (or not) around the new year: lose the baby weight. I'd be thrilled with 10lbs lost. 15 would be amazeballs. I'd also like to be more organized, so working on a system for house clean and meal planning/prepping.

[britta]

@kitchen I've had a lot of anxiety about the PP weight too. It really ramps up my social anxiety as well. I'll gladly help cheer you on!

mg0202 hugs. It sounds like you've had a rough go of it. Thinking of you.

[smallpotato]

Diagnosis/personal issue or struggle: Anxiety with depression

Recent related difficulties/vent: I talked about this a little in randoms, but N's behavior has been atrocious lately. I don't know if it's a holiday hangover or what, but I am now convinced that the school system's evaluation must have missed something. We're going to ask the pedi about a referral to a behavior specialist or something like that. We can't keep going like this. Otherwise, with the exception of G and I both being sick with a cold, things have been pretty good. I also realized I'm going to have to go back to work two weeks earlier than I initially planned, so I am not too happy about that.

What you're working on/trying to do/would like to do to improve your recent difficulties/mental health: I think taking steps to figure out what is going on with N will help. My anxiety ramps up when he doesn't behave well. I also need to try and sleep more (easier said than done, I know). I think if I start to feel better physically, it will help me mentally.

QOTW/GTKY: Not mental health related this week-What is one goal you have for the New Year ? I need to lose weight too. I'm actually down below my pre-G weight, but I have roughly 50 pounds to go to get to pre-N weight. I also want to do more around the house. I hate household chores with a passion, but I know I need to do more to help out MH, especially once I go back to work and he has both boys all day.

[smallpotato]

@kitchen, I get the same way when I think about the weight I have to lose. It just makes me want to eat all the things.

mg0202, hugs to you. What a tough stretch! I've thought about weaning myself off of Zoloft several times over the last few years, but I've had difficult times when I've accidentally missed a dose. I hope you're able to wean once you have a routine in place.

britta, I completely understand the frustration with the older kid. After N's meltdown the other night, I told MH that I love N, but sometimes I don't like him. Then I started crying because I felt like a terrible mother for saying that. Kids are so hard.

[sanibel21]

@kitchen anxiety overnight is the worst, especially when lack of sleep exacerbates anxiety vicious cycle.
mg0202 so sorry the wean didn't go well, but glad going back on it has helped. Atleast now you can feel confident that it's necessary?

[sanibel21]

britta ditto to probably expecting too much from a toddler
@smallpotaco, hugs for dealing with difficult behavior. We've also commiserate about how toddler behavior affects us so much.
penguin129 how are you?

[sanibel21]

Anxiety, depression

Same old struggles of balancing newborn needs with toddler needs, expecting too much from toddler, getting frustrated with toddler, feeling it's a reflection on my parenting, losing self esteem, feeling hopeless

Trying so hard to accept that babies cry and toddlers tantrum. Trying to reset my day, all day long. This past Ling weekend DH allowed for a lot of break time between DD1 and I and it helped so much. I felt like a regular person, not stuck in the depths of depression.

Resolution is self care which includes breaks from the kids. Also acceptance of Baby and child behavior and inability for perfection

[penguin129]

I've been trying to post for days... I can't get a big enough chunk of time in front of the laptop. Maybe tonight. I'll just say my anxiety is in high gear today since I had to take both girls on the hour drive to the doctor's office. Mr. P reminded me I've done this trip before and to just breathe. It helped.

[penguin129]

Diagnosis/personal issue or struggle: Post-Partum Anxiety w/ some OCD

Recent related difficulties/vent:
When I'm anxious about something my OCD starts to shine its head. We had a rough evening and I didn't get to put everything away and there is play doh stuff all over the dining room table. All I want to do is put it away and put everything back in its place, but I can't because HL is sleeping right by us in the bouncer and I don't want to wake her. Not having the stuff put away gives me anxiety too so it is a vicious cycle.

I also have anxiety when I go into the "Big Box" stores because at my worst I spent a whole lot of money I usually wouldn't (thus the new furniture set and stove) as shop therapy. Thankfully, I knew where my max was and about how much we get from income taxes so I should be able to pay everything off again. I never carry balances on credit cards and am beating myself up that now we'll have monthly payments we didn't before. To top it off this month I have to pay for the new Assessment & Psych Eval and both cars need to have their tags renewed. My birthday is this month and so is our Anniversary and then Valentine's Day so we don't really get a break spending wise until March.

What you're working on/trying to do/would like to do to improve your recent difficulties/mental health: I'm taking 10 mg of Celexa and trying to decide if I should go up in dose to the 20 mg the family doctor prescribed or wait until my next appointment with a Psych (can't spell) to see what they say. I bought a planner and am starting to use it to keep my to do lists and appointments in. I am going to a Mom's Night Out once a month. The first one is next Friday and I can't wait. I am trying to get nightly walks in with the family. I also want to take either a nice shower or soak at night before bed.

QOTW/GTKY: Not mental health related this week-What is one goal you have for the New Year? To use my planner.

*There is so so much more I could type up, but since I have a book already I'll leave it as it is.*

[macaronmama]

Diagnosis/personal issue or struggle: Generalized Anxiety, PPD/PPA

Recent related difficulties/vent:

Things are going alright for the most part. I did a stupid and forgot to take my meds for a few days right around Christmas and it took me a day or two to realize why I was feeling so out of sorts and depressed. Back to remembering to take it every day and I am much better, minus a mini-episode of a delayed anxiety attack last night as I was getting ready for bed. Still not sure what triggered it, but my back and chest hurt so badly.

Haven't needed to see my therapist, which I think is also a good sign. I'm striving to accept that my house isn't always going to be neat, I can't keep things in perfect condition, and it is okay to leave the baby to my mom for a few hours here and there to get some me-time, cause that's why she's here, to help us. My mom being here til the end of February is the best thing that could happen to me/us right.

What you're working on/trying to do/would like to do to improve your recent difficulties/mental health:

I got a massage last weekend with a friend, which was nice and helped for a day or so before my upper back got locked up again. Eating a lot healthier with my mom around, which I think also helps. I was chowing down on way too many sweets and carbs last month. Mom = more fruits and veggies around. Hopefully we can make it a habit before she leaves.

QOTW/GTKY: Goal? Aside from lose the last 10 pounds I put on during pregnancy, I think maybe actually try to do things when I think of them instead of saying I'll get to them later (which I don't do). Makes me feel a lot more accomplished at days end, and I'm rushing less.