Better Parenting Through Wellbutrin
How modern pharmacology has made me a better mom.
I read a magazine article a couple of years ago thatcited a study that said more stay-at-home moms were on antidepressants and most of those interviewed said it simply made them better moms. They yelled less. They played more. They could think their way out of a difficult or stressful situation.
I read it with interest because I was currently on an antidepressant, Wellbutrin (generic name buproprion). It was prescribed for what was called post-partum depression, undiagnosed until 18 months post-partum, but what I called "stress overload." After less than two weeks on the antidepressant, I could focus better, multi-task a little, and started enjoying life with my beautiful 18-month old toddler instead of enduring it.
After four weeks on Wellbutrin, I could laugh at the days when a load of laundry consumed all my thought and energy for the day. I could bake cookies while the laundry washed, go for a walk with my daughter, do the grocery shopping and still stay awake to watch "American Idol".
Was I depressed? I didn't care. It worked, life was good, that's all I needed to know. Bravo, Wellbutrin.
I was afraid to go off the antidepressant for a year. But about the time I discovered I was pregnant with my second daughter, I gave up the Wellbutrin.
Adjusting to life with two children was hard for me. (That's another article altogether.) For three years, I had devoted myself to one energetic, bright, enthusiastic child, and suddenly my energies and focus were split. I toyed with the idea for awhile that I might be experiencing depression again, but it is difficult to self diagnose.
Meanwhile, my parenting skills slid downhill…….way downhill! I yelled more ( a lot); I didn't have time for fun; I didn't want to leave the house with the two of them, and didn't enjoy being home with them either; simple decisions would leave me frustrated and drained. Decisions like whether to take the stroller or use the shopping cart to transport the kids. Decisions like, when my 3 year old says she needs me, is she wanting attention or does she need something right now?
Decisions like, what the heck do I make for dinner tonight? (Okay, I still have a hard time with that one.) But was I depressed? It was hard to tell. I put off taking Wellbutrin or any other antidepressant.
I read parenting books, tons of them. I wrote down key parenting skills. I cried. I prayed. I talked to other moms. I talked to my husband. I talked to my oldest daughter. But I still couldn't feel like I got a grip. I felt like I was fighting my way through a cloud. If only I could break free, I knew I could see what to do!
One day, I went to a music and movement class for babies with my 10 month old and my 4 year old. I was tense. I was anxious. I was embarrassingly rude to my 4 year old. I apologized to her immediately after, and I knew something had to change.
I called my ob's office the next morning. Since it was on file that I had been on Wellbutrin previously, she graciously called in a prescription for me.
Within three days, I had a clarity I had lacked for 10 months.
Within two weeks, I had gone a long way to rebuilding respect, trust, boundaries and plain old fun with my daughter. I started having fun with the baby, too.
It's been over a month now since I started back on the Wellbutrin. I feel like myself. I am more the parent I want to be. Unfortunately, an antidepressant doesn't keep one on a constant, happy high with a perma grin glued to one's face! But I am more confident, have more energy and compassion, and we have more fun. As a bonus, I get more done, too!
Now what are we having for dinner tonight?
Published by Marsha Raasch
I am a 44 year old mother of two girls. I am recently divorced and dealing with single parenting, being a working mom, and sending the girls to public school for the first time. View profile
- Ten Rules for Improving Marriage and Parenting Skills Ten easy rules that will help you improve your parenting skills and your marriage. How to build a strong family and create time to interact with your spouse and children.
- Become a Better Parent by Improving Parenting Skillsthe secret of improving parenting skills is a matter of mutual respect and understanding between a parent and his or her teen.
- Confident Parenting Skills: What Every Parent Should KnowThis article describes what every parent should know about increasing their parenting skills and becoming a more confident parent.
- Parenting Skills Today Need ImprovementParenting skills need vast improvement in today's society in order to ensure that our children become well behaved adults.
Post Partum Depression: Advice from a Mom Who's Been TherePost Partum Depression can turn a new mom's life upside down. This article discusses some of the symptoms of post partum depression and offers some helpful advice from a mom who...
- Post-Partum Hypothyroidism and Hypoglycemia
- Relationship Between Personality and Post Partum Mood Disorder
- Is it More Than Baby Blues? Coping with Post Partum Depression
- How to Survive Post-Partum Period
- Birth of a New Baby; The Implication of Post Partum Depression in Men
- What to Expect at a Post-Partum Examination
- 10 Parenting Skills You Must Have to Be a Great Parent
- Anxiety is sometimes a symptom of depression.
- It is worth taking antidepressants to make life better for your children.
- Post-partum depression is very under-diagnosed because it requires a degree of self-diagnosis.
17 Comments
Post a CommentI tried wellbutrin and felt the same way. I think I had ADD which wellbutrin does treat. I loved it, but I couldn't stand the insomnia. amazing how our personality may just all be chemical!!!
A month or so after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, still taking prozac, I went into another deep depression and was hospitalized for 3 or 4 days and they seemed like some of the longest days of my life. Being stuck on the 4th floor of the hospital and only seeing and holding my daughter for a short while was the worst feeling ever. I told myself that I had to be the worst mom ever. What was wrong with me? Why do I have to go through this? While I was up there a nurse told me that she kind of went through some of the same things. She said she was always tired. Only getting up from bed to tend to her baby and then lying back down. Taking a shower seemed like a great task. Her house was a mess and she didn't feel a bond between her and her baby.
Marsha, I thank you for writing your article. I was diagnosed with depression in 2001 and was prescribed paxil although before then I had already known that there were some things that were not right in my life. I was always angry, in trouble, and couldn't get along with most people. From school age til now my relationships with family, friends and now husband and daughter have been shaky. The paxil worked as far as slowing down anxiety but it made me sleep too much. I couldn't enjoy my husband or much of anything else either. I found out that I was pregnant in Dec. 2004. After being pregnant for some months my doctor switched me to prozac. She said that because prozac had been out longer more women have given birth using this particular anti-depressant. So, I went with it. A month or so after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, still taking prozac, I went into another deep depression and was hospitalized for 3 or 4 days and they seemed like some of the longest days of my l
Marsha, I thank you for writing your article. I was diagnosed with depression in 2001 and was prescribed paxil although before then I had already known that there were some things that were not right in my life. I was always angry, in trouble, and couldn't get along with most people. From school age til now my relationships with family, friends and now husband and daughter have been shaky. The paxil worked as far as slowing down anxiety but it made me sleep too much. I couldn't enjoy my husband or much of anything else either. I found out that I was pregnant in Dec. 2004. After being pregnant for some months my doctor switched me to prozac. She said that because prozac had been out longer more women have given birth using this particular anti-depressant. So, I went with it. A month or so after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, still taking prozac, I went into another deep depression and was hospitalized for 3 or 4 days and they seemed like some of the longest days of my l
I have battled depression and anxiety (panic disorder) for 5 yrs now. Starting with the birth of my son. I have tried many different meds. So far Lexapro has worked best for me. I know that Wellbutrin works FOR SOME people, but not for all. I took it for 2 weeks and had the WORST, weirdest, scariest dreams in my life. I stopped taking it and went back to Prozac. That had quite a few side effects, so after being off everything for 7 months, I had a mini-meltdown(LOL) and now take Lexapro. Seems to be working. Good luck to all you Moms. It's tough... and nobody thinks it is, till they actually stay home and do it.
Im glad it worked for so many. I was on it for two days, and it felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin! Anxiety, anger and frustration doubled. Guess different meds do different things to different people. Thanks for another perspective.
I decided to take wellbutrin because of the anxiety of having three teenage boys and a three year old, what was I thinking? Now I have more energy, maybe too much and I am not constantly worrying and nitpicking.I feel guilty for having to take a drug to make me cope with motherhood though and I do have concerns about the side effects. Why doesn't it make that worry go away to?
I am a fan of SSRI's myself, as being on Paxil has helped me in many ways. I think if you can use something responsibly that makes the quality of your life better, go for it. Just a cautionary note, apparently the seizure risk of Wellbutrin is quite real. I don't think I've ever experienced a serious side effect of a medication until I went on Wellbutrin, at which point I had grand mal seizure. There is no history of seizures in my family, and why I had such a serious one was a mystery until I relized I had just started the Wellbutrin. I suffered no ill effects from the seizure (except embarassment), but I was lucky I was at my office. If I had been driving or swimming, well, let's say it could have been worse. So watch out, and if you do go on Wellbutrin, maybe be aware of the seizure possibility and keep someone close to you, at least until you've been on it a while. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I'd hate to see somebody have an experience like mine. Ve
I am a fan of SSRI's myself, as being on Paxil has helped me in many ways. I think if you can use something responsibly that makes the quality of your life better, go for it. Just a cautionary note, apparently the seizure risk of Wellbutrin is quite real. I don't think I've ever experienced a serious side effect of a medication until I went on Wellbutrin, at which point I had grand mal seizure. There is no history of seizures in my family, and why I had such a serious one was a mystery until I relized I had just started the Wellbutrin. I suffered no ill effects from the seizure (except embarassment), but I was lucky I was at my office. If I had been driving or swimming, well, let's say it could have been worse. So watch out, and if you do go on Wellbutrin, maybe be aware of the seizure possibility and keep someone close to you, at least until you've been on it a while. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I'd hate to see somebody have an experience like mine. Ve
I am a fan of SSRI's myself, as being on Paxil has helped me in many ways. I think if you can use something responsibly that makes the quality of your life better, go for it. Just a cautionary note, apparently the seizure risk of Wellbutrin is quite real. I don't think I've ever experienced a serious side effect of a medication until I went on Wellbutrin, at which point I had grand mal seizure. There is no history of seizures in my family, and why I had such a serious one was a mystery until I relized I had just started the Wellbutrin. I suffered no ill effects from the seizure (except embarassment), but I was lucky I was at my office. If I had been driving or swimming, well, let's say it could have been worse. So watch out, and if you do go on Wellbutrin, maybe be aware of the seizure possibility and keep someone close to you, at least until you've been on it a while. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I'd hate to see somebody have an experience like mine. Ve