Health Anxiety worse since having a baby
Posted , 2 users are following.
I am new to these forum and apologies in advance for the long post.
For as long as I can remember I have always battled with anxiety, in particular Health Anxiety from an early age I always thought I had something terribly wrong with me and spent years being affraid of doctors and dentists.
Surprisingly when I was pregnant, I never once worried about anything. However all that changed the day I had a traumatic birth whereby I became very ill.
Since then and since having my child (and being an older mum) my obsession with my health is another level and I don't understand why ? I have an impending doom about everything to do with my health and I feel its starting to take over my life.
I spend my time worrying about my partners health, my child health, my parents health.
The last two years have been tough I struggled with giving birth in a pandemic, stresses over finances, partner losing job, coupled with the lack of sleep and no break to myself, I sometimes wonder if this has made my symptoms worse.
Would love to know if anyone else has experienced this after having a baby and weather its some form of Post Natal Depression or Post traumatic stress syndrome.
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0 likes, 2 replies
danielle21159 Badger188
Posted
Hi badger!
I'm terribly sorry to hear your struggling. I myself have yet to give birth but I think i can offer some perspective.
I also have GAD and severe health anxiety. I'm currently having a flare up of it now. For me, I've noticed that a traumatic event triggers my anxiety back into a frenzy and the delivery of your child and what you experienced sounds like something similar. This panic can linger for months, even years. I promise you are not alone. Im currently seeing a counsellor to try and get me back on track as well as potentially up dosing my anxiety meds. Maybe talk to your doctor about possible options for you? Hang in there hun!
sasical72 Badger188
Posted
Hello,
I had anxiety all my life but I never had health anxiety until my daughter was born, and also the same as you I was on top of the world during my pregnancy, so that makes me wonder if there is a hormonal component to it. Because now I am in perimenopause and my health anxiety is off the charts again.
Another reason could be that when you have a baby you sense of responsability is huge, you feel you have to be there for your child and become more aware of your health and fear what would happen to your child if something was to happen to you.
In any case, whatever the reason, I have VERY much seen a pattern of new Mums having bad health anxiety, so it is very normal albeit horrible xx