Need a new book? Try The Last Day of Magnus Gariq (An Airwoman companion story)... Learn moreNeed a new book? Try this...

Writing as Therapy? My journey through post-natal depression

A Medium Story

I was over at Medium today writing about my experience when I was diagnosed with post-natal depression and how I used my love for writing to dig myself out of it. If you’re interested in hearing more, click here to read it–here’s a snippet:

Writing as Therapy? My journey through PND

I’ve been writing for a long time, but I didn’t take it very seriously at first — I bet you know the feeling, right? That one day — that elusive one day sometime in the future — it would something I would be able to do. Until then, I was just messing around.

The thing is, to get better (at anything) you’ve got to take it seriously.

For me, that time was after the birth of my second child.

Now usually this is a time when everything else gets thrown out of the window. I had a toddler and a newborn and, as anyone who has had a baby knows, the world shrinks down to the inside of your house. Or maybe your side of the street — if you manage to get out at some point in the day.

It was at this point in my life that I was diagnosed with post-natal depression (PND). I really struggled. Every day felt like I was going into battle — with my kids as the enemy. Surviving each day (and keeping the kids alive as well) was the ultimate goal.

Looking back on that time, and now with some space to reflect, I was clearly anxious and depressed. I would lie awake at night wondering how I was going to make it through the next day. I was constantly on edge. My children felt like strangers. I had sunk into a trench (there’s the war analogy again) unable to see over the top. I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Just another day of struggle, hopelessness and failure.

Read the rest over at Medium… And if you like it, be sure to give it a clap!

*Photo by Jan Kahanek from Unsplash.com

 

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *