Anyone else suffer with anxiety?

[Rooster30]

Just wondering how fellow anxious mummies cope?

I never realised until I had my son that I suffer with anxiety. I've never seen a doctor about it and I most probably should because my existence doesn't feel hugely easy. My anxiety always kicks off if my children either don't go to bed, wake in the night or are poorly.

My son was quite frankly, horrendous as a newborn up to the age of one. He'd take forever to settle to sleep and if he woke we'd be up for hours and hours trying to resettle him and I got PND and crazy anxiety. From age 1 he got much better and as a whole he's pretty fantastic. However, those time still haunt me, whenever I hear a cry through the monitor at night the first thing that happens is my heart stops for about two seconds (best way to describe it anyway) and my joints lock as if I've just stepped out into the cold. This is before I get change to take a step back and calm down. Until the moment they resettle again I feel, well, anxious, nervous, worried about what sort of night is ahead.

Am I the only one who struggles massively with it? Luckily my husband is the ying to my yang and takes up most nighttime duties, which luckily is very rare these days, because he's more relaxed and unworried by such occasions. But still the heart stopping still happens even if my daughter cries for just a moment and settles back down.

I just wanted to see how other anxiety sufferers cope?

 

[flexilexi394]

Hey!

I am 1000000% sure you are not alone in feeling like this.

When I had my DD I had never ever felt anxiety like it, and it was only since having her! I went on antidepressants because mine turned out to be severe postnatal depression, but if you don't think you are depressed but you are really suffering with anxiety don't hesitate to see your doctor, they will always help you whether it be a tablet to try take the edge off or refer you to necessary people to try and teach you how to cope with being anxious.

I can really relate to you, my thing when I am anxious is my heart pounding out of my chest, I feel like I am going to have a heart attack sometimes when I am really anxious!

You can get it sorted though, don't suffer in silence xx

 

[tiggy85]

Me! My anxiety has been mainly also around my sleep. I am doing much better now after seeking therapy and religiously practising mindfulness through a truly brilliant app called headspace. It has totally changed the way I view anxiety and thus it doesn't get in the way so much any more, if I get woken by my boys then I do struggle to get back to sleep depending on what time it is and how I deal with my thoughts. I do notice that the worse sleep I have the worse my anxiety is which perpetues the cycle. I night weaned (breastfeed) at 8 months as I really couldn't go through all the nighttimes wake ups and he did wake less thankfully and since then my husband has been helping which means I'm more relaxed at going back to sleep.

 

[Peggy]

Hey, yeah I feel I started suffering with anxiety for the last few weeks too - I don't really know why my lb is generally very good, he sleeps well most of the time (unless unwell or going through a leap) he is 4 and half months but each morning I get this terrible anxiety that it's not going to be a good day - I worry he won't nap when he should and that will lead to him being overtired and cranky in the evenings, I worry he won't take his bottles and that will lead to him being less contented and I also get anxious taken him out anywhere - I know it's silly and I should just been enjoying my beautiful little boy but it has been a hard few weeks but hoping I'll feel better and more confident in time. Sorry not much help there but your not alone, I totally underestimated how hard motherhood would be. I'll be following this thread too for some tips X

 

[MrsP42]

Yes I completely understand and mine has kicked off again during this pregnancy - I see non existent horrific situations and get really panicky that my DD could get hurt (falling in a pond, car accident....) I am seeing a therapist at the moment and it helps to talk things out and she gives me some techniques to use. Speak to your HV and she should be able to point you in the right direction for some help xxx

 

[Rooster30]

Thanks ladies. It's nice knowing i'm not alone (though sorry others are going through it too). With my son I was anxious all the time. I panicked about absolutely everything. I'd cry everytime my husband left the house. It was horrendous.

Three years on and I now have a daughter and I am so so so much more relaxed, however at night if the monitor goes off my reaction is more physical than emotional, if you know what I mean? My body reacts before my mind can step in to say 'calm down'. My body always gives the true story. I suffer with social anxiety too and even though my mind thinks, 'you're fine, calm down', my body flushes a hot red and my palms start sweating. I think that's what ticks me off, how my body will not settle down! It just feels completely out of my hands!