welcome everyone. I stopped my meds to TTC but had to go back on prozac when I was about 4 months gone.

I used to go to a mind day centre and a bipolar support group, both were great but I stopped going when I met OH.

I havent self harmed for around 18 months, still get the urge but so far doing well. For me the hardest thing is feeling like I'm waiting for the hell to strike again.

Oh excellent idea...

I am bip... panic disorder... fun stuff and depression as well.. but it is okay PP thank goodness!

to all

welcome.

Hi,

Cant I pop in? I have suffered depression since I was 16 and psych thinks longer. I hit my biggest low in 2006 when I was on high dose of prozac thru the depression and eating disorder I also had a massive drink problem I also self hamred. My biggest low was in feb 06 when in 1 week I drove my car off the road on the M3 I dont even know what happened I dont rememebr getting in my car and nded up upside down on the fast lane of the motorway lucky to get out alive as the cars roof was squashed to bonnet level. My relief was no one else was involved. In the same week I then cut my self badly and tried to jump out of a window and then I overdosed a few days later.

It took all of this and a trip to the assesment unit conifers for me to realsie they were assessing me for admission and I didnt want to go down that route. It has taken a long itme and I still have periods where I am low but with my husbands support who knows all the signs I fight going back as low as I was.

My biggest fear is suffering in the pregnancy and after and I know at moment I borderline. Luckily I have a fantastic GP who has been brilliant and doesnt mess about either!

Its amazing what so many ppl have got thru to get to where they are and what ppl are still fighting and its a great idea to have this thread x

Hi Jem!!!

There are many of us here who are living proof you can get through it hun- I did suffer a depression during my pregnancy and both me and my daughter lived to tell the tale.

We are all here for advice and support

Hiya , thought I'd join you =)

I've suffered from depression/PTSD since my teens. Started self-harming and was put on Citalopram when I was 15 but it didn't really work for me. Pulled out of that incident but had another major slump when at college and was put on Venlafaxine. Was seeing a psychiatrist and generally wasn't very well. Had a year out and came off my medication suddenly due to unforseen circumstances. Stayed off them about a year then went to uni and got stressed about passing first year. Cue another course of Venlafaxine albeit a much lower dose which I am still on. Generally I think my mental health is much better these days I just haven't found a good time to come off my meds as go from one source or stress to the next! Hoping to come off them gradually in the next 6 months though

I haven't self-harmed visibly for a couple of years but must confess I still pull my hair when I get stressed and sometimes dig my nails in if I'm struggling to cope with a situation.

I am a bit concerned that when I have a baby people might be critical of my scars. They're mostly on my legs and covered but obv not if I'm being examined downstairs. I think I'm probably just being paranoid as my gynaecologist has never mentioned it but I worry midwives etc might think I am not capable of looking after a child IYKWIM. I also have a nasty keloid scar on my stomach and not quite sure what that will look like during pregnancy -I reckon I might be the only person glad of stretch marks as they might make it less obvious!!!

Oh and I gave up alcohol ~1 yr ago as I found it hard to control my drinking. Have since discovered that my dad and one of my siblings have similar problems.

Sorry for the essay!

Hello, can I join you? I'm bipolar, but most of the time all I have is severe mood swings. Occasionally I have really bad bouts of depression for as long as weeks or months...Great idea to start this group I know sometimes when it gets really hard its hard to talk to some of the ppl who don't know as well what I'm going through (lucky me that DH understands completely, he's bipolar too and helped me get diagnosed). I know when I told my parents that I felt like I had depression we had this really awkward talk about what I had been feeling and talking about me being suicidal and all...VERY awkward but they try their hardest to understand and help...

What a great group

Some of you know our story, some don't but we have lived with very severe PTSD for a year or so now and life is very different.....still awesome, but very different.

We have decided to try and make a postive out of it and have set up a website and forum which is still very early days but we are getting a lot of work done behind the scenes which is great.

I was diagnosed with secondary PTSD and so have been seeing a Counsellor now for about 4 months....it took me that long to accept the help that was being offered as I was not convinced that I should be taking up the space of someone who was deserving of help. However, I am deserving of help and I take it every week and so does OH and we are doing ok.....good days and bad.

Anyway, Ill not go on but just wanted to say great group and if anyone ever wants to talk, I really do understand

xxx