Personal experience of counselling by Rachel Day

29th April 2010

I first experienced Post-Natal Depression after the birth of my first child in 2006. I very quickly became depressed, obsessive about safety, suicidal and felt resentment for my own baby. I developed OCD, became fanatical about little rituals or routine and refused to talk to anybody about how I was feeling.

Eventually, after weeks of self-harming, I sought medical help and was put on anti-depressants. I was offered counselling and moved back into my parents home for extra support. It took me almost two years to overcome PND and I finally dealt with what had happened to me by writing a book about my experience. 'Strangers In My Mind' helped me let out all the secrets and emotions I had spent so long hiding, I wanted to make what I went through worth while and set up a website and a facebook group to help raise awareness of Post-Natal Illness.

I would urge anybody that feels sad, alone, scared... to talk to somebody. Ask for help, because there is plenty out there!