in Mamas with depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders

Mental health

What are you guys doing/taking for severe depression? My last living grandparent, my grandma just passed and I never got to tell her about her great grandchild so that's been eating at me. My husband and I have been arguing a lot and we hadn't argued or fought in about 3 years but it all started once I got pregnant and had to quit one of my mood stabilizers. I haven't been very mentally sound or okay since. For reference I have Bipolar 2, have manic depression, anxiety, and C-PTSD. I am trying so hard to manage my depression with journaling, therapy every 2 weeks, and seeing my psychiatrist for medication adjustments monthly. I had a friend who was extremely helpful and has been supportive for years with no question but she's been incredibly dismissive lately so I sense there's some type of animosity there because she didn't have that support when she was pregnant but I didn't know her then. :/ I have always reciprocated support so I don't know where this is coming from. We have been in a new area for a little over a month now and I haven't met anyone or made any friends. We're 6 hours away from where all of our family and most of our friends were. I just feel extremely overwhelmed with all of the change that has happened in such a short time. So many things happening at once just makes me feel so alone and I'm just feeling extremely scared and alone. I turned off my location and have moved all of my other socials to inactive and just shut myself off to them but I know even going silent that no one will reach out. I have cried for help and have wanted nothing but to be heard but I just feel dismissed, like people think it's just me being dramatic, etc. I'm not always miserable. I'm really not. I just wish I had a better support system so I could feel normal again.

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I have used Lamictal as a mood stabilizer for the longest.. with Lexapro when not pregnant and Zoloft when pregnant

@Knadia I'm currently on 150 mg of Lamictal and I've been on that since 2017 but they just recently upped it to 150 from 100. The only issues I worry about with SSRI medication is that I have not had a good run of them. I have taken the four that they recommend the most that are the most safe while pregnant. Zoloft hospitalized me, celexa is what I was on before zoloft but i can't remember why I was taken off but it had some negative effects. Prozac while hospitalized and it just over numbed me to everything, and they tried me on Lexapro not too long ago and it gave me severe anxiety 😬 so I feel like I'm at square one all over again and super anxious to figure out what their solution is for all of that

I take 100mg of setraline and 50mg of agomelatine the setraline has helped alot with my PTSD aswell

@Melissah I'm glad that works for you! I can't take Zoloft because it had hospitalized me in the past. I'll do my research on the other but I'm unsure of how it is with Lamictal. I noticed my mood stabilizer has helped a lot with most everything aside from the depression

I am Bipolar and am on Lamotrogine. I switched from an SSRI about two years ago and the difference is significant. The mood stabilizer helps both the depression and the mania which the SSRI wasn't really doing. I was on Lamotrogine while pregnant and while breastfeeding for 3 months. I have no regrets, my little boy is perfect and happy. Medication really worked for me. Even still I often feel overwhelmed and alone. Motherhood is very isolating in so many ways. Even other mothers can't truly understand what you are going through, our experience is so individual. My husband and I have been bickering a lot as well since the birth. Things often feel off. I don't really have any advice but I can offer you solidarity. You aren't alone, I get that this is really hard.

@Katelyn yeah it's really a mission to figure out what works for you and what doesn't , the agomelatine increases noradrenaline and dopamine and melatonin. So does definitely help with depression but for me I'm barely having panic attacks now and I was having them constantly and my self harm issues have just disappeared and I can finally sleep so yay ! I was put on both because they target seperate hormones and my therapist didn't want me functioning in survival mode anymore Hopefully you can find something that works for you that help with your depression

@Eleni I'm currently on 150mg Lamotrigine but unfortunately it doesn't touch the depression side of things. I've been on that since 2017 but this is a current new dose for me. I was on that, Oxcarbazepine, and propranolol prior to becoming pregnant then had to stop the other 2 medications. It was a perfect blend for me but since stopping the 2, and only continuing the one, it's been difficult regulating everything. I will definitely say it feels extremely isolating and that I have been abandoned by most of the people I thought were friends. It's a sad reality but I'm making it work in the best way possible and know it's better in the long run for my family. Being in a new area and not getting out much has made it quite difficult to make friends. I appreciate your kindness a whole lot ❤️ me and him are working on a better communication system and are hoping to find a therapist that we can get some insight from to continue to have a healthy relationship through this major life transition.

@Melissah it really is! I had been on the same 2 medications since 2017 then I had added in a 3rd over the last 3 years and it was working fantastic. It just wasn't safe to take 2 of them while pregnant unfortunately so it threw a lot off. I looked up the one you had mentioned and apparently it cannot be taken with my current mood stabilizer so I'll have to scratch that one for now but I did do a little research! That's incredible that it has been able to help you so much!! Panic attacks are exhausting along with the toll that it brings. Sleep is so important so I call that a huge win!! I tried unisom once this whole pregnancy because my insomnia will get bad at times and oh my goodness I slept for like 14 hours 😂 so I just kinda nap when I feel I need it now lol Thank you so much for your kindness and insight ❤️