Finding the Girl in the Mirror

By Julie Wright

Journal of recovery from Post Natal Depression.

This book started life as two journals that were part of the process of my recovery from Post Natal Depression. I hope that the book will help you in your recovery journey.

Julie Wright

• Language: English
• Publisher: Julie Wright
• Release date: Nov 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301887828

Julie Wright

Julie Wright is an entrepreneur, sleep ambassador, speaker, and author of The Natural Sleeper—an introduction to an extensive range of natural, complementary, and alternative solutions, therapies, techniques, practices, and tips to help improve our sleep. Julie is the Chief Sleep Orchestrator and founder of WeSleep, a wellbeing provider focused on sleep, providing webinars, workshops, lectures, discussion panels, one-to-one consultations, and therapeutic sessions on the topic of sleep deprivation and insomnia to a wide range of organizations and business clients such as start-ups, agencies, media and entertainment companies, banks, festivals, conferences, non-profit, education and government organizations, and many more.  Julie’s prior business background is in media and entertainment in the US, UK, and France, as a former business executive at UKTV (BBC Studios), Paramount Pictures, Jetix (Disney ABC Television), Warner Music Group and, The Box Plus Network (Channel 4). Visit her online at TheNaturalSleeper.com and @WeSleepUK.

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Finding the Girl in the Mirror

By Julie Wright

Copyright 2012 Julie Wright

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Dedication:

To the women for whom the journey became too much, I know your families miss you and there will always be a hole in their hearts. Much of the drive to write this book came from you – in some way this is also your story. I thank you for your part in my recovery.

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PART ONE

Post Natal Depression

Many new mothers will experience baby blues; mood swings, crying spells and feelings of loneliness three or four days after giving birth. Post-natal depression will however last for much longer and will include symptoms such as panic attacks, sleeping difficulties, having overwhelming fears about dying, feelings of inadequacy and being unable to cope.

Post-natal depression is a common condition, affecting between 10% and 20% of new mothers. Starting two or three weeks after delivery, it often develops slowly, making it more difficult to diagnose. Often it goes unrecognised by the woman herself, or by her family.

The PND Journey Journal

This journal is for you – in it I tell my story in the hope that you will be able to tell yours. It is my wish that you will find strength in its pages and know that you are not alone on this long dark path. The journey back from PND is not an easy one and it will take great courage and tenacity. The journey will involve engagement with Health Professionals and for some it will mean a stay in a hospital psychiatric ward. I wish you luck and I trust that you will reach a safer place soon.

For those of you who have not sought help or who are hiding the symptoms from your families, please tell someone. It is important to get help early. Talk with a health professional as soon as you can. There are no prizes for going it alone. I have firsthand experience of this. Your family and friends are there to help. Sometimes the greatest challenge is letting them do so.

I saw a number of Health Professionals and participated in a number of therapies. I did not find drug therapy helpful and to some extent that made my journey harder.

There are numerous therapies for PND. Not all will suit you but it is important that you persevere until you find the one/s that work/s for you.

The road to recovery from PND is not an easy one and there are times when you will feel like giving up. Accept that there will be good days and bad days. Celebrate the good ones and put the bad ones behind you. Rest assured that for most of us who suffer from Post Natal Depression, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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Chapter One – The Recovery Process

Me Now

In many ways my life is light years away from where I was in 1997 and 2001. In some respects I feel nothing like the girl that went through PND. I have a good job; I have remarried, have 2 sons and 2 stepdaughters. I am blessed indeed.

I am still prone to dark times and I need to keep up the skills I learnt on my path to recovery. For me it is like having an ongoing condition, rather like diabetes or heart disease. I need adequate rest, time to myself, time with my husband, family and friends – personal time to keep growing and changing.

My husband will tell you, at times there is still a monster inside that may come out to bite you but, I do come back to myself and if this is your family’s experience, so will you.