Local Nurse Chats To Jay & Dave About Her Experience With Postnatal Depression

Recognising Mental Health Week


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*Please note: this article may be triggering to some. If you're in need of assistance, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Jay & Dave are recognising Mental Health Week on the show and kicked things off yesterday at 9th Lane Grind Cafe where they met local nurse, Rachel Euler, who suffered from postnatal depression after the birth of her daughter. They asked Rachel to join them on the show this morning to share her story. 

"There's a lot of things that can make you feel not ok and that's ok to feel that way - it's just about seeking that help", said Jay.

Rachel found herself in an extremely tough emotional state after the birth of her daughter. 

"I have a two-and-a-half year old daughter who was a very big surprise package for us and due to circumstances like my husband working away and having no family up here, I was very much alone. I wound up with postnatal depression and anxiety and it was really hard because I'm a nurse, I used to work in the emergency department and I was meant to have all of the answers and know where to send people. I found myself on the opposite side of that", Rachel said. 

Jay asked Rachel to describe some of her feelings at the time to help someone listening who might be going through a similar situation.

"Completely lost, like I was stuck doing it on my own. Part of my PND was that I had thoughts and feelings of harming my own child - suffocating her or drowning her - and it was really hard to work through and ask for help. I wasn't sleeping, I felt like I was a failure, that my family would be better off without me. It was really difficult but it was also knowing I would never act on that. Suicide wouldn't give me the answer that I needed and I just wanted to feel better than I did. That took a lot of work - I went to a counsellor, I used different hotlines, I was medicated as well.

"If you know somebody who has had a baby and is going through this, don't wait for them to ask for help. They will not ask for help", she said.  

Listen to Rachel's emotional chat with Jay & Dave about postnatal depression here: 

Amber Lowther

9 October 2018

Article by:

Amber Lowther




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