Mood swings are killing me

[scarew]

Hey there,

 

I've had a terrible weekend. I had a major anxiety attack on friday, I barely remember it, but I wound up in the psyc ward all weekend. It didn't really do me any good to be there other than getting some time away from normal life stresses. The city I live in has terrible mental health recourses and my medical plan only covers a small portion of private counselling services.

 

It's getting to the point where I don't know which emotions are valid and which are a result of the horomones. I can't sleep or eat, but part of that is the first trimester nausea.

 

Just an example, today I am sitting at home doing my school work. My husband came home for lunch and it was a positive experience. Despite his troubles with his job he is learning not to bring home his stress. We laughed the whole time he was here. About an hour after he had left I was trying to focus on my studies. Out of nowhere, I started getting upset about him and the problems we have from time to time. Now I am pouting between crying spells and outbursts of anger.

 

These mood swings are literally debilitating. I am so depressed I feel like I can't handle it. With enotalone as my only resource right now, I don't know where else to turn.

 

I just think that if I am having a good day and everything is going smoothly, I have no reason to sit here and cry about things that are likely not going to bother me once I get over this mood swing.

 

I can't cope. I dont want to leave the house but I hate being here at the same time. I feel worthless and trapped. * * * is wrong with me

 

Sarah

11 wks

[rocio]

I am so sorry you have to go through this. It is a good thing that you are seeking professional help, though, since this can turn into depression and can even persist after baby is born, if you allow it to.

 

I hate the hormonal mood swings too. I feel like I'm not even myself. It's like when you're drunk and you're really angry at your cab driver over something stupid. You know that you're only angry because you're drunk, but you just can't help it!

 

Just remember how powerful those hormones are. Your body is producing more hormones in one night than it would normally produce in a month! The hormones are so strong that if you try to color your hair, it can turn green!

 

It sounds like your mood swings are bordering on depression. Please continue to see a councilor. There is a good book called "And the Rain Came Down" by Brooke Sheilds. She talks about what she went through with postpartum depression and I found it really encouraging when I was going crazy in my first trimester.

[Hope75]

Sarah,

 

Did you have issues with anxiety before you got pregnant?

 

Sometimes pregnancy hormones can magnify an already existing issue and make it worse.

 

From what you described, the mental health services in your area don't offer much, but do you have a good therapist that you can turn to, one that can teach you ways to manage your anxiety so that it's a bit more bearable?

 

Another suggestion is talking with your OB about it. He or she may be able to refer some services that might help when the moods swings get bad.

 

PS- when did you get married?

[southerngirl]

image removed

 

From one hormonal prego woman to another, youll get through this. =)

[scarew]

Thanks guys,

 

Sorry Hope I don't mean to confuse anyone, we are not married yet. We are common law so I am just really used to juggling the terms boyfriend and husband. We both wear rings...I don't know our friends call us by the same last name and everything I just call him my husband out of habit.

 

And yes, I had major issues with anxiety before I got pregnant. They were under control especially since I had quit drinking this spring. I was on a mild anti-depressant but my GP advised I go off of it because we were trying. I dont think the anit-depressant was fixing anything, its kind of like taking a diet pill while dieting and excersising to lose weight. It helps but cannot solve the problem on its own.

 

I am just so weak because I can't eat anything. Or keep it down. I don't know what to do I seriously cannot function. Honestly, just like the morning sickness thing, it wasn't something I was prepared for in this magnitude. I'm so tired... so angry...

 

My first ultrasound is tomorrow so maybe it will remind me why I am going through all of this. Bah.

[rocio]

Since you are already at 11 weeks, the sickness should be over soon. I expect that within a couple of weeks you'll be feeling like a whole new person.

 

And you're right about the ultrasound. When I had mine, it was one of the happiest days of my life.

[southerngirl]

I had morning sickness bad with my first pregnancy.

 

I swear it went longer than it should, Least thats how I felt!

 

Here is a link that may be helpful on what you can eat and how to survive it, I know tis a real downer... good luck, my doc had told me even though I was throwing up everything I ate literally that I should keep eating... This is actually what made me drop outa school I was sick and pitiful and slept alot because while awake I was sick and pitiful and tired.

 

link removed

[scarew]

Did anyone find that the moodiness subsided or became more managable? Or dare I say did it get worse throughout the pregnancy? I think I will feel better once the morning sickness leaves, but horomones are horomones... do I have any hope in the near future?Or am I doomed to moodiness for the next 6 months?

[southerngirl]

Off the mainpage at enotalone is a very interesting read.

 

 

 

'Great Expectations' Pregnancy Blues: 'What every woman needs to know about depression during pregnancy' by Shaila Kulkarni Misri, M.D.

 

Its an article about a book that looks like it may be helpful to you.

[rocio]

Did anyone find that the moodiness subsided or became more managable? Or dare I say did it get worse throughout the pregnancy? I think I will feel better once the morning sickness leaves, but horomones are horomones... do I have any hope in the near future?Or am I doomed to moodiness for the next 6 months?

 

It's different for every woman. However, in the first trimester your body is producing hormones like crazy. Once you enter the second trimester, the placenta takes over production of alot of those hormones, so most women find that they are more calm.

[Hope75]

Yes, I think it depends on the woman too. Plus where you have a history of previous anxiety that may contribute to the magnitude you are feeling now. I would definitely talk to your OB if you are feeling overwhelmed about it though. Sometimes if it gets bad enough they will weigh the risk vs. benefit for medications for you- and some have little to no effect on the baby, but it's important to explore that with your doctor more.

 

As far as the morning sickness, have you tried eating a few saltines before getting out of bed and moving around in the morning? Some women find a little something in their stomach helps ease the nausea. Ginger ale or ginger root/ginger tea may help too. And try to drink plenty of water during the times of day you do feel you can keep it down. If it continues for more than 24-36 hours where you cannot keep ANYTHING down, you should call your OB. They worry about dehydration causing early labor (it irritates muscle fibers) and may want to give you IV fluids if it gets too bad. There is a condition in pregnancy called "Hyperemesis" (sic: too much puking to be normal!) and they have treatments for it. I have a couple of friends who had to have that done during a particularly tough time in their pregnancies.

 

I didn't realize you and your guy were living together long enough to be common law! In the US you must live together for 7 years to be considered common law- is that policy different in Canada?

[redrose85]

Hope- In Canada it is a year I think. I know at one point my ex and I were considered common law.

[Hope75]

Hope- In Canada it is a year I think. I know at one point my ex and I were considered common law.

 

Ah, that would make more sense! A friend informed me that it depends on the province in Canada, and that in Ontario, it's 3 years, but I don't know where scarew lives. That's alot shorter than in the US.

 

scarew, does common law place you under your boyfriend's insurance for health care?

[rocio]

Ah, that would make more sense! A friend informed me that it depends on the province in Canada, and that in Ontario, it's 3 years, but I don't know where scarew lives. That's alot shorter than in the US.

 

scarew, does common law place you under your boyfriend's insurance for health care?

 

I'm in Ontario and for my health insurance, at least, it's just 1 year.

[rocio]

Ah, that would make more sense! A friend informed me that it depends on the province in Canada, and that in Ontario, it's 3 years, but I don't know where scarew lives. That's alot shorter than in the US.

 

scarew, does common law place you under your boyfriend's insurance for health care?

 

(He's fully covered under mine)

[scarew]

Where I live its 6 months for certain legal issues and 1 year for full on common-law. I could go under his insurance, but he doesn't have any beyond what all residents of B.C. get, which is pretty good, but basic. I have my own health care plan that gets me the extras- basic dental, presciption coverage, and partial coverage for counselling and other therapy. He can probably bum off my plan since we've been living together for a year. Also my dependants to be get exactly what I do.

 

The problem with finding couples counselling or even individual is the acutal city I live in. I moved from a smaller town about 2 hours north of here and it was just full of mental health recourses that all were covered by the provincial medical services. The city I live in now just doesnt have enough local recourses.

 

We have decided to choke it up and pay for couples counselling since we have a baby on the way. My plan covers like $20 per session and we will pay the difference. We just both need help dealing with my horomones in this pregnancy. Some other stuff we absolutely need to figure out before we can think about becoming good parents, in my opinion.

 

The sad thing is, my city is SO lacking in recourses that most counsellors, even private ones, have a 2-3 month waiting list. Because we're expecting I'm on priority for one of them so hopefully we'll get in soon. ](*,)

 

Sarah

11 wks

[BornToResist]

You're almost in your 2nd trimester, hang in there!!

 

I have never had to take any meds or anything, but I used to get anxiety attacks pretty bad, I just never saw anyone about them. I went CRAZY when I got pregnant (I also had an extra plate-full of issues to deal with though so life wasn't exactly easy) but everything got better as soon as I reached my second trimester. I got more used to the hormones as well as my mood swings and it was all-in-all easier to handle.

 

I don't know if this is the case for you since you were on meds, but my doctor told me to take an extra DHA suppliment or omega-3 fatty fish oil suppliment because they say it helps with the mood swings and prevents post partum depression to a certain extent. Can't hurt anyways.

 

Good luck, keep us updated!!

[scarew]

Im kind of angry now because I have been looking on this website my prenatal doctor told me was very legit. It says basically that my GP shouldnt have been so hasty as to take me off the meds I was on because depression and anxiety will cause more harm to the baby than the meds would. But now that I'm off its best not to restart. Sigh...

 

link removed

 

Thanks for the encouragement that I might only have a little while left of this crap. I have my 1st ultrasound this afternoon so I will know more accuratley how far along I am and how much more of the first trimester blues I might have to put up with.

[Hope75]

How was your ultrasound today, scarew?

 

Was it cool to see the baby?