Please note that we do not offer a diagnosis but can work on the symptoms and the impact.

 

Anxiety Low mood and Depression Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Specific Phobia

 

Anxiety

This can cover a number of difficulties people experience and not necessarily limited to the below descriptions;

• Anxiety about general situations: Day to day difficulties and worries, some people may describe them as the small things that seem to build up and overwhelm them at times. This can include apprehensiveness or anticipation of future danger that is accompanied by worry, and feelings of distress and tension. Your worries might relate to not being able to get pregnant, worries about giving birth or worried about being a good mum. 
• Anxiety when in or about social situations: This type of anxiety often refers to an excessive fear or anxiety that consistently occurs in one or more social situations. There may be a concern that you will be judged negatively by others. These anxiety symptoms persist for at least several months and often result in significant distress. You may be avoiding these social situations and recognise that wherever you are in your journey to motherhood it is having an impact on your life. 
• Anxiety about your own health: This type of anxiety is often characterised by the persistent preoccupation or fear about the possibility of having one or more serious progressive or life threatening illnesses. This worry is accompanied by certain behaviours used as an attempt to manage the anxiety. You may be ‘Googling’ your symptoms and find yourself becoming overwhelmed with fears over your own health. 
• Panic: Panic is often characterised by a heightened episode of intense fear or apprehension often accompanied with a number of symptoms. These symptoms are often but aren’t limited to increased heart rate, palpitations, sweating, sensations of shortness of breath, chest pain, feelings of dizziness or light-headedness, the fear of imminent death. Panic attacks can appear out of the blue or can be triggered by particular situations.

 

Low Mood and Depression

• Depression: Characterised by low mood, for example you may be feeling sad, stressed, empty, lack of enjoyment and/ or loss of pleasure. These feelings can be accompanied by thoughts and behaviours that could significantly be affecting your ability to function day to day. You may be struggling to conceive, struggling with being pregnant or being a mum and recognise this is impacting on your motivation and day to day life.

 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Is often characterised by the presence of persistent obsessions and/ or compulsions. Obsessions are often described as unwanted, distressing persistent thoughts, images or impulses and are commonly associated with anxiety. You may be attempting to ignore them or doing behaviours to ‘remove’ the thoughts. Compulsions are repetitive behaviours that you may feel driven to perform in response to an obsession. Suffering from OCD can result in significant distress or impairment in many different areas of your life such as conceiving, being pregnant and post pregnancy. 

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD can become a problem following exposure to an extremely threatening event or events. You may currently be experiencing intrusive memories, flashbacks or nightmares of the event. You may attempt to stop thinking these thoughts/ memories and feel overwhelming emotions particularly fear or horror. Please note if you are experiencing PTSD symptoms related to your birth experience we would only be able to offer you therapy support 4-6 weeks post birth. Please contact if you wish to discuss further.

Specific Phobia

Having a specific phobia is characterised by excessive fear or anxiety that consistently occurs upon exposure or anticipation of exposure to one or more specific objects or situations. You may avoid these situations or objects or endure them with intense fear or anxiety. For example you may have a phobia of needles and be considering IVF. 

If how you’re feeling isn’t listed above then please contact us on info@mybabybrain.co.uk and we can always have a further discussion with you about your personal difficulties.

Crisis Advice

Please note that we are not a crisis support. However, if you find yourself at a point of crisis please attend your local A&E.