dress: old navy | shoes: old navy
Happy Tiny Tuesday, friends! Before I begin today’s post, I wanted to give a shout out to my hubby, Travis! Today is his birthday, and we are so very grateful for the leader he is for our family. I have loved watching him lead our family spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. His love for the Lord is evident in the way he treats and loves me and my girls. We love you, Travis!
As I start today’s post I want to give you all a BIG thank you for your overwhelming support and positive feedback to my post on my journey with Postpartum Depression. I was a bit nervous as to how you all would receive not only my veer from fashion, but my brutal honesty about the “not so pretty” aspects of what real life can look like for me. All that to say, you guys flooded my comments, email, and instagram messaging with the sweetest notes. So, thank you!
I wanted to do a follow-up post today on PPD because one of the most frequently asked questions by you all was “what was my view of taking anti-depressants,” and I thought that was a relevant topic. This topic is surely one of the most controversial subtopics of PPD, and so I want to begin by saying that I am in no way telling you what is right or wrong. Rather, I am simply sharing with you what my personal views and beliefs are. This is simply how I processed getting to the point of taking medication.
To start, a bit of backstory – I am not a huge medicine taker. Yes, I took some Advil in college to “cure” a hangover, and Ibuprofen for a headache here or there. However, in my adult life, I have tried to avoid taking medication as much as I can simply to just keep chemicals out of my body. No, I have not done a ton of research on this, but I just figure it can’t be good to pop pills daily. So, when I get a headache, I prefer to tough it out or try a natural remedy first. That being said, I have had several surgeries and taken pain pills each time to ease the pain during recovery. I have also taken birth control to attempt to slow down/stop my development of endometriosis. I share this with you all simply to show that it is my desire to not take any medication but in the event of full transparency, I have/do occasionally take medication.
Now to taking medication for PPD – when the possibility of having to take medication first entered my mind, I shut it down. I was extremely prideful in the beginning and thought that I could simply overcome my depression on my own. As you read before, that was not possible. When it came to friends going through PPD I was all about them doing whatever it took to get better, but couldn’t seem to take a dose of my own medication (no pun intended).
I recall pulling up to my OB’s office where I would tell her I felt like I was depressed, and I knew medication was going to be part of the solution. While I didn’t know the possibility of getting over PPD without medication, I did know one thing – my family wasn’t functioning well because I wasn’t well, and I wasn’t going to let that be the case forever. I recall speaking with my OB and feeling the relief as she looked at me and told me PPD is a chemical imbalance. It’s not something I could get over simply by willing myself to get over it. On the same note, she did not see medication as the end all be all answer. She informed me it would help lift off the dark veil that covered my life, but it wasn’t a permanent fix. It was something I needed at the moment, but could try and ween off of when I was ready. It felt like a relief to hear that I wouldn’t have to take medication for forever.
So, do I recommend taking medication for PPD? Yes, mostly. I believe this is a decision you should make with your husband, your OB, and those closest to you. It’s not a simply decision. I do believe that it helps though. It helped me climb out of a fog and into a place where I could smile and be a light for my family again. I do believe it doesn’t have to be a permanent fix, too. I am in the process of weening off mine, but by learning to give myself grace for being on it, it has been a very peaceful process. The most important thing in my book is to do what you need to do to get better and to be the best wife and mother you can possibly be to your family. That’s what’s important.
As always, I would love to hear from you all and am happy to answer any questions you may have!
