What will calling the doc do for me?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
6 months postpartum and feel like I have PPD.
But calling the doctor? And saying what? I'm afraid he'll blow me off. Or just write me a prescription for an antidepressant and wish me luck. I'm lost. Anyone been through this? Any advice on making that initial call? |
Anonymous
|
With any depression / depression like situation the hardest part is picking up the phone and making the call.
If you have concerns, please do it. And if they blow you off, do it again. The best thing that can happen is that you will feel better. Good luck. |
Anonymous
| Call the doctor. Tell him you think you might have PPD. Any doctor worth his/her salt will not blow you off. They will probably ask you to make an appointment to come in. He/she may recommend therapy (if not, you can always do that on your own--I recommend the Maternal Wellness Center). The fear is part of the depression. |
Anonymous
|
Agree with PP that the hardest part is making the call. Here is a stock line for you to try if you need one:
"Hi. I'm 6 months post partum but I'd like to schedule a follow up appointment with my OB to discuss some mood issues I'm having." |
Anonymous
| I would also look into your insurance and see what the benefits for mental health are. Try to find a good therapist who can help you. Maybe with therapy 1-3 times per week you will begin to feel better. |
Anonymous
|
It's a small practice. I'm ashamed to talk to the receptionist (she obviously knows me).
I'm ashamed to have my manager find out. But I can't hide therapy from him. It's not like he won't know I'm missing work. I know these are excuses. But they're also keeping me from calling. |
Anonymous
| Unless you need a referral for insurance purposes, you don't HAVE to go through your OB. Would you feel more comfortable just contacting a therapist whose practice includes PPD? That way you can keep all your interactions separate from your OB care. |
Anonymous
Hey, OP, I can totally relate to these feelings. But you don't need to be ashamed. You should be proud of yourself. You're taking steps to fix something that's scary and much easier (yet dangerous) to hide from. You're proactively looking to make things better for yourself, for your family, for your job. PPD is often a combination of hormone changes and sleep deprivation. It's not a weakness. It's not something to be ashamed of. Remind yourself of that. Remind yourself that when you read people on here talk about their own PPD their biggest regret is waiting to get help. You won't be the first person the receptionist has ever talked to who has had mood issues after the baby was born. I saw a therapist for a long time, and at one point needed to see a psychiatrist to get medication - and that was a huge hill for me to climb. But I finally told myself that I didn't need to worry that they'd think I was "crazy". Heck, they probably talked to someone crazier than me at least once a day. Good luck. |
Anonymous
|
I would hope that your doctor wouldn't blow you off. I called the nurse's line at my OB's office when I thought I had PPD. I mostly just cried into the phone. They found someone for me right away.
If you're really not comfortable calling your OB's office, you could try the Women's Mental Health Center at Georgetown. https://www.medstarhealth.org/Pages/Services/Mental-Health/MedStar-Georgetown/Womens-Mental-Health.aspx. But you have nothing to be ashamed of, OP. I don't want my manager to know I'm in therapy either, so I just say I have a doc appt and leave it at that. Some therapists also have weekend and evening appointments that you could go to outside of work. |
FruminousBandersnatch
Member Offline
Member Offline
There's no reason for you to be ashamed. If you were having any physical medical issue odds are there wouldn't be any question about calling. PPD is sufficiently common that it has a name and even an acronym. It happens, it's well documented, and there's nothing in particular that you did (or didn't do) to cause these symptoms. |
Anonymous
The receptionist has heard this before. And worse. And she doesn't care. I promise you, she really, really doesn't. And it is possible to find a therapist who has some hours outside normal 9-5. They're few and far between, but they do exist. I know how you feel. I was petrified to admit I had PPD or post-partum anxiety, really, after my first child was born. I felt like admitting that was admitting that I was a complete and total failure at motherhood. I mean, I thought I was a complete failure, but I didn't want anyone else to know that I was. So I suffered and I struggled and I alienated my husband for a year and a half. And then we started marriage counseling and she really suggested that I try an anti-depressant and I still refused because I still thought that it meant that I was a failure, that I ought to be able to cope because everyone else does (or at least that's how it felt). And then I got pregnant with my second and I had horrible insomnia and things fell apart. Our marriage counselor and my OB practice (actually midwives, who have the reputation on here as being opposed to EVERYTHING except green vegetables and exercise during pregnancy) ganged up on me and convinced me that I really needed some help. That it didn't mean I was a failure if I did. And Zoloft changed my life. I swear, it did. I realize now how bad it was--how anxious and irritable and miserable I had been for so long. You can make the call. Or, like a PP said, call your regular doctor. If you don't have one, I have nothing but good things to say about everyone I've seen at One Medical Group. If you can't call for you, then call for your baby. Like they say on airplanes, put on your own oxygen mask first so you're equipped to help someone else. You can do this. |
Anonymous
PPD is serious. Your doctor will be glad you called. |
Anonymous
| Is it too late? I feel like this has been going on for a few months but I still feel silly calling an OB after 6 months. I do not have a PCP. |
Anonymous
|
Agree with everything that has been said! For me, asking for help was the hardest part. It also took me 6 months. I wish I had done it 5.5 months sooner.
For me the answer was a low dose of an antidepressant. I had struggled with some slight depression prior to pregnancy, but I think the extra hormones threw off my brain receptors, and that little dose of zoloft worked wonders for me. For me, therapy wasn't the answer, because talking wasn't going to make me feel all that much better. The key here though is that I got into my doc and made the request. Doc was very quick to be helpful and reassuring and provided great resources to seek counseling if I wanted and wrote me the rX if I wanted to fill it. She just asked that I check in ever 6 weeks with her for an update. Understand the feelings of shame that come with admitting that everything isn't as perfect as you've made it seem, but there will be absolutely no judgment at your OB office. Another option is to call your primary care provider. |
Anonymous
It is not too late. The prior PP's stock line should get you through any awkwardness on the phone. Your OB will absolutely see you, though they may recommend that you find a PCP to follow up with. If you truly are suffering from PPD, I have a feeling that finding a new PCP and then making a first appointment to talk about PPD may just be too much for you, and that is absolutely normal and understandable. |