Perinatal obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) - Written by Amy.

I found it quite hard to sit down and write this where to start I thought?  Well, my journey started after the birth of my second child during the Covid 19 pandemic.  Looking back I had suffered with my mental health before and after the birth of my first child in 2015.  However, this time it was different. In 2020, I was diagnosed with ANXIETY and Perinatal obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), this diagnosis didn’t really shock me, in fact it all made sense. 

During 2020/2021 my mental health deteriorated significantly, to the point where I couldn’t function and I ended up in hospital.  It was at this time I found Sally and Mother’s Mind Staffordshire, I was living away from my family as I just couldn’t cope with day to day life. Living with OCD was crippling me, the constant checking was factoring into my heightened anxiety, it was a continuous cycle of torment. I had hit rock bottom! and I couldn't face returning to work following my maternity leave.

It took a few weeks before I had the courage to attend my first Mother’s Mind session.  As soon as I walked in the room I was made to feel welcome.  Sally and Michelle put me at ease.  From this day forward they provided me with a great deal of love and support.  I started to have CBT sessions and the combination of those sessions breaking down my thought patterns and with the continued support of the ladies at Mother’s Mind I slowly rebuilt my life. 

I am doing things that I would never of had the confidence to do before.  I cannot thanks all the ladies at Mother’s Mind Staffordshire enough.  In fact I’d like too put something back and I hope to start volunteering with them in the Autumn when my youngest daughter starts school.