Scary Anger: My PPD story – Guest Post by Samoina at PPD Island

Anger. Abstract artwork of an angry man holding his head with both of his hands. The intensity of his feelings is echoed in the lines and shapes surrounding his head. Alternatively he may be fearful or confused, perhaps due to a mental illness such as schizophrenia.

Thanks for your comments on last week’s post about how tricky going back to work can be after having a family.  This week we have Samoina from PPD Island sharing a really personal story of a lesser known, but very common, symptom of PND – anger.


Rage, Anger, Simmering fury, Bubbling ire

These are the words that come to mind whenever I think about the kind of anger and resentment I felt when I had Postpartum Depression. Before I was aware of the specific name given to my then-condition, I wondered to myself why, in my parenting, I was always angry, always furious, always seething at something. When my son was a few weeks old, I thought it would pass, I kept telling myself it was as a result of the sleep deprivation.

In my mind, once he settled into a sleeping pattern, the anger would ease. But it did not, and Oh God, he took maaaaany months to settle into a pattern (one of the effects that PPD had on my son šŸ™ ). No one starts on their parenting journey anticipating failure, and thatā€™s just what PPD does to you: makes you feel like you failed at this parenting thing, like you cannot get anything right. This very thought would set a cascade of events that would make me quiver with fury.

The rage never did tone down. If anything, it went a notch higher. I knew there was something terribly wrong with me (my emotional and mental state) the day I slapped his fragile tiny body for ā€˜crying too muchā€™. In retrospect, this was deep in the pits of depression. It was a frustration words do not quite capture. So in exhaustion, after the incident, the waves of guilt came flooding my weary heart. And I could not stop the tears either. This irked me, because if thereā€™s anger thatā€™s as frustrating as it is tiresome, it is anger at yourself. So there I was, feeling helpless, frustratedā€¦ and the unrelenting anger.

Some scenarios that would paint the dark hole that the anger was:

Irrational

You cry the whole freaking night, and I am gonna get angry at you, child. Canā€™t you just sleep once, one freaking night? I mean, whatā€™s the point of crying because you are sleepy instead of just sleeping? *cue sleep deprivation* If you cry one more time, I swear, just one more time, I am going to beat you, because you cannot sleep. Irrational, but the thing is, when you are smirk in the middle of the darkness that depression is, those are the lenses that you use to view lifeā€¦

Uncontrolled

I got angry at the ā€˜flimsiestā€™ reasons, but you bet they were not flimsy then. And when anger reared its ugly head within the four walls, I threw anything my hands landed on. And many times I prayed that ā€˜thingā€™ would not be my six month baby. Uncontrollable does not begin to describe this grip that anger had on me.

Everything made me angry, eeee-v- e-r- y-t- h-i- n-g!

  • I hated the fact that day was followed my night, simply because it meant the mask would come off and I would cry into my pillow for hours, my son nursing notwithstanding.
  • I hated changing diapers 2 milliseconds after changing it (and at the same time wondering where the money would come from seeing as I was jobless at the time)
  • The sight of dirty dishes made me angry.
  • The statement ā€˜I understand what you feelā€™ from anyone who had never got depression irked me.
  • The way my life seemed to have stopped, and the world continued spinning.
  • The fact that suicidal thoughts felt like a calm place, yet I couldnā€™t fight the fear of it (https://ppdisland.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/day-10- angst/)
  • I got angry at the way dogs barked at night, never mind I couldnā€™t get any sleep.
  • I hated it when my shoes pinchedā€¦

I was angry at everything.

It was a remarkably horrible feeling. I felt pathetic on the inside, and it showed on the outside effortlessly. Now that I have healed from PPD, I look back and realize the sheer number of horrific intrusive thoughts I got, the irrational things I did (and said to an infant) in utter frustration and I realize that anger is the least-talked about, and the most-frowned on ā€“albeit subconsciously- symptom of Postpartum depression.

Which is why, while I cringe and tear at these sad memories, I would like to let any moms suffering from PPD out there that the deep-seated anger is part of the condition, and that you are not alone in this. You are not a bad parent for been an ā€˜unlucky personā€™ to suffer from depression right after your little bundle arrived. And thereā€™s help. It can get better, It does get better. There is hope ā€“ when you make the decision to ask for help.

Asking for help, especially when you do not have an inkling of where the anger stems from is a daunting task. Yet, as much as it glares at you, it is one of the most liberating things any parent would have to do. I sought help online, because heck I did not have any money to go see a medical practitioner. Finding Postpartum Progress was my first step to healing. What an amazing online community of warrior moms who showed me there was hope.

It can get better, it does get better. You are not alone in this.


To read more about Samoina’s experience with Postnatal Depression you can follow her blog, or find her on Twitter and Facebook.

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16 comments on “Scary Anger: My PPD story – Guest Post by Samoina at PPD Island

  1. Brilliant post. I still find it very hard to admit to my anger with my PND because as you say it still one of the tough parts of it. I was so angry when I first had PND thought I didn’t know I had it I thought I was just a horrible person. I would scream some nights at my baby for crying to much, not eating, or not sleeping. One night I found myself winding her gritting my teeth as the anger took over and my ‘winding’ got harder. As I caught what I was doing I broke down and took a panic attack. The guilt over powered me, it still does. Tears come now writing this. But I was very ill, and anger and frustration are a big part of that. It’s good to see someone be so open about this and help other women suffering know they aren’t alone in it. Xx

    1. I’m so sorry you had to go through such a thing. PND is horrendous and anger is one of the worst parts of it. Thank you for reading and commenting, and try not to let guilt overwhelm you, it’s a useless emotion x

    2. Boy oh boy, Hi Gem.

      I relate to that furious helpless anger, and the screaming nights when LO doesn’t sleep. It certainly is not easy. To feel so angry, so helpless, and then the guilt that washes over your heart… my momma kept saying it does get better. I didn’t understand then, Now, in the journey of recovery, I am realizing it is true. There is hope. Hold on to that.. hugs.

  2. Totally breaks my heart hearing others talk about their experiences of PND, what an absolutely horrific illness, just when we’re supposed to be starting the most amazing journey of our life! Thankyou for being so honest. Thanks for linking up to #MarvMondays. Kaye xo

    1. Thanks Kaye. the irony of such a debilitating condition at the time when life is meant to blossom within and without. Thanks for reading šŸ™‚ I appreciate Laura too for creating this platform and allowing us to share out parenting struggles so candidly.

  3. What an amazing, honest and genuinely moving post. I got tears in my eyes reading this. It must be the worst thing to go through at a time when everyone is telling you how magical it all is and how much you should be enjoying it. I’m really glad you got help
    Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes
    Debbie

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