tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4078353767640195469.post823951260015481277..comments2023-07-05T04:57:19.490-07:00Comments on Whimsically Bookish: Postpartum Anxiety.Sonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17355310500145264215noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4078353767640195469.post-86470617161089664612015-07-15T12:10:59.687-07:002015-07-15T12:10:59.687-07:00Thank you for sharing! I have also found that medi...Thank you for sharing! I have also found that mediating and essential oils have helped so much with my anxiety, as well. I always have lavender on me or within reach. I never thought to put some on my pillow though! I think I will give that try! And creating a space that is just your own sounds like a fantastic idea. On Sundays, my husband watches our daughter and I usually retreat to our room to have a DIY "spa day" and will read or watch a movie. It helps so much to know that we're not suffering alone in this! I honestly just felt like I was going crazy, and when I found other moms were suffering from the same problem it helped so much! <br /><br />And you are absolutely right, we will get through this! Just taking it one day at a time!Sonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355310500145264215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4078353767640195469.post-35472473633753394642015-07-15T10:23:56.708-07:002015-07-15T10:23:56.708-07:00I've got it too, so you are definitely not alo...I've got it too, so you are definitely not alone. Mine is rather minor. I have had anxiety all my life. I never told my mother about it (honestly not sure if she knows about it even now) and would beg the school nurse not to tell her about my attacks either. I have a cousin who has some mental issues (TRIGGER: His mother did heavy drugs before, after, and during pregnancy and would throw him and his brother against a wall to make them stop crying as infants. He had it worse than his brother, but they both needed medication. I'm not sure the extent of their problems, growing up I was only allowed to know about his severe ADHD /End trigger). He was taken away by the state and lived in a psychiatric treatment center until just after he was 18. I was so scared when I was young that if I saw a shrink, that they would find something wrong and I would be sent to the center as well.<br /><br />When I was young, I found that my closet floor was my sanctuary. I strung white Christmas lights around the walls a few feet off the floor, put a bean bag chair in there, and would sit there and read. It gave me my own bubble and I felt safe there. I also learned how to meditate and use lavender for relaxation. It helped control it, and that was all that mattered. It was controlled and I didn't have to tell my mom or medicate. <br /><br />My daughter is 10 months old, and my anxiety is for things I can't control. I would have it while I was pregnant, but it wasn't as vivid until after she was born. I will be walking in the kitchen and an uncontrollable thought, that is like a daydream, will sneak in my brain. "Someone is going to stand up outside my window and shoot me." I cower at night because someone will break in. I live in military base housing! I can watch the Navy Seals training outside my bedroom window! I don't think I could be more safe, and yet, the thoughts are there. It's always bad guys trying to attack. That, or clumsy moments, like the thoughts that I am going to trip and land on a knife and that the paramedics won't get there in time and leave my daughter without a mother. <br /><br />It's a horrible feeling, but honestly, it was worse when I was medicated. I went from being scared of stupid things, to not feeling anything at all. When I realized that I couldn't even smile at my daughter because of how cute she was being, I knew that the medication wasn't helping. They lowered my dosage, and it was the same. So I went back to controlling it on my own. I have diffusers going at all times, steaming lavender into the house. I sleep with peppermint oil on my pillow case (helps me breathe and I have fewer crazy nightmares with it), and I meditate every day, even if I have to do it after my daughter is in bed. It's a struggle I think I will deal with all my life. Maybe it will fade out some once we are out of the military, especially if we get a German Shepherd or two like we are considering to train for home security. But until then, I just have to deal with it. <br /><br />It will probably plague both of us our entire lives. But we will both get throw it. I know we will. And we will be stronger for it. You're not alone mama. We can do this. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com