This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/30/new-mother-postnatal-depression-anxiety-nhs-mental-illness
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 'I got no help from the NHS': a new mother on facing mental illness | 'I got no help from the NHS': a new mother on facing mental illness |
| (4 months later) | |
| Libby Binks had postnatal depression and anxiety after the birth of her daughter Chloe in December 2014. However, despite telling a GP and a health visitor how she was feeling, Binks received no help from them. | Libby Binks had postnatal depression and anxiety after the birth of her daughter Chloe in December 2014. However, despite telling a GP and a health visitor how she was feeling, Binks received no help from them. |
| Recalling the time after the birth, she said: “I felt more and more useless, inadequate and a burden on my husband, Adam, who seemed to be so much better at parenthood than me. | Recalling the time after the birth, she said: “I felt more and more useless, inadequate and a burden on my husband, Adam, who seemed to be so much better at parenthood than me. |
| “When I took Chloe for her six-week check at the GP surgery, I arrived in floods of tears and was an emotional wreck. Despite that, the GP checked up on how Chloe was, but didn’t ask at all how I was. He saw that I was upset, but did nothing about it. | “When I took Chloe for her six-week check at the GP surgery, I arrived in floods of tears and was an emotional wreck. Despite that, the GP checked up on how Chloe was, but didn’t ask at all how I was. He saw that I was upset, but did nothing about it. |
| “A few days later, a health visitor came to my house. I filled in a questionnaire that’s used to identify postnatal depression. I was completely open and honest with her. I said that I cried myself to sleep at night and had bursts of anger that came from nowhere. | “A few days later, a health visitor came to my house. I filled in a questionnaire that’s used to identify postnatal depression. I was completely open and honest with her. I said that I cried myself to sleep at night and had bursts of anger that came from nowhere. |
| “After reading my answers, she said my score was very high. She said that I’d get more help and support from health visitors. But I never saw a health visitor again. They just left me. | “After reading my answers, she said my score was very high. She said that I’d get more help and support from health visitors. But I never saw a health visitor again. They just left me. |
| “At my lowest I felt useless, completely out of control. I was used to managing a big team and people coming to me for the answers. But I had no answers; I felt lost. I wasn’t myself anymore because of the depression, and that was terrifying. I didn’t feel I was in control of my own mind, much less bringing up a child. | “At my lowest I felt useless, completely out of control. I was used to managing a big team and people coming to me for the answers. But I had no answers; I felt lost. I wasn’t myself anymore because of the depression, and that was terrifying. I didn’t feel I was in control of my own mind, much less bringing up a child. |
| “I wanted to disappear. I saw Adam with Chloe and how idyllic their relationship was, and I thought that I was poisoning that. So I thought I would just disappear. I thought that me disappearing would be better for them. | “I wanted to disappear. I saw Adam with Chloe and how idyllic their relationship was, and I thought that I was poisoning that. So I thought I would just disappear. I thought that me disappearing would be better for them. |
| “Despite my illness, I got no help from the NHS; there was nothing there at all. I feel really angry about that, because the amount of stress and pressure that my family has been under because of my health has been incredible. | “Despite my illness, I got no help from the NHS; there was nothing there at all. I feel really angry about that, because the amount of stress and pressure that my family has been under because of my health has been incredible. |
| “I think GPs should have to check on every mother’s mental and physical health after six weeks of their child’s life, not just do that with the baby. | “I think GPs should have to check on every mother’s mental and physical health after six weeks of their child’s life, not just do that with the baby. |
| “Postnatal depression is an illiness that affects whole families. It affected Adam’s relationship with me and my relationship with Chloe. I was also worried that my illness would affect Chloe in adulthood. But all of that could have been avoided if I had got help when I needed it. | “Postnatal depression is an illiness that affects whole families. It affected Adam’s relationship with me and my relationship with Chloe. I was also worried that my illness would affect Chloe in adulthood. But all of that could have been avoided if I had got help when I needed it. |
| “In hindsight, I should have just gone to the doctor’s and said ‘I’m unwell, help me’. But I didn’t because I was scared – that Chloe might get taken away or that I might be put on medication, which I didn’t want. I think those fears put many women off talking about their mental health. | “In hindsight, I should have just gone to the doctor’s and said ‘I’m unwell, help me’. But I didn’t because I was scared – that Chloe might get taken away or that I might be put on medication, which I didn’t want. I think those fears put many women off talking about their mental health. |
| “It took me two-and-a-half years to get help in the form of counselling, through a charity, and hypnotherapy, which I paid for. They helped hugely and I feel really well now, though still have the odd bad day. | “It took me two-and-a-half years to get help in the form of counselling, through a charity, and hypnotherapy, which I paid for. They helped hugely and I feel really well now, though still have the odd bad day. |
| “My experience of care from the NHS was completely inadequate. It seems to me that unless you are suicidal, you are ignored. There are so many mums like me who are hiding their depression and mental ill-health, and we are the ones who are being missed by the NHS.” | “My experience of care from the NHS was completely inadequate. It seems to me that unless you are suicidal, you are ignored. There are so many mums like me who are hiding their depression and mental ill-health, and we are the ones who are being missed by the NHS.” |
| Mental health | Mental health |
| NHS | NHS |
| Health | Health |
| Women | Women |
| Pregnancy | Pregnancy |
| Childbirth | Childbirth |
| Parents and parenting | |
| features | features |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |