Happy Through Trials: Post-Partum Anxiety is Real

When I got pregnant with my second daughter the doctors started asking about post-partum.  I never thought to link that breakdown to post-partum and so I would always say that I didn't have any depression and we are good.  I have really hard pregnancies so I just wanted to get through that. 

When Isla turned about 6 months old I started having severe anxiety.  Not the same kind as I described before (although the fear of death has not gone away since it started, it at least is controlled), but I would have panic attacks often.  I couldn't slow down.  I never could sleep because "I had too much to do."  I never took time to eat.  Life was just constant chaos.  

At that point I went to the doctor and asked if there was something I could do.  That is when we started talking about post-partum anxiety.  I always thought it came in the form of depression and it does for some, but for me it is anxiety.  

We started talking options.  I wanted to try and kick it without medication because I breastfeed.  So we talked about a lot of mental options.  Such as talking to myself and rationalizations.  Many different things, but at the same time he still prescribed me something just in case.  

Now fast forward to about 2 months ago, our truck got stolen from in front of our home.  The anxiety that came from that was so great.  I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back that was the trigger of my latest breakdown.  I felt so violated and I didn't feel safe.  

The day after that happened I started getting sick.  No big deal it was just a cold.  Well after a week I was not only still sick I also felt worse and that is when my fears came back just as before.  The EXACT same thoughts past through my head.  Fortunately, for me since I have gone through it before I knew that I needed to kick this before it got too bad.  

I had found some things that helped control those fears and helped me still live a happy life.  Let me break these down into 10 things that I do.  I hope this can help many of you who struggle with post-partum or possibly any form of anxiety or depression.  I also listed them in the order that they help me the most.  Starting with the one thing that helps me the very most.

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