Friday, June 01, 2012
Introducing Mood 24/7, a new tool that helps you track your mood from day to day using your mobile phone.Try it today!

Tuesday, April 05, 2011 Robert Clendening asks

Q: Is it even possible for us to be as happy as we were before the depression?

I have been with my fiance a year now. We just had our son 6 weeks ago. We have had an amazing relationship up until about 2 months ago. She started to have no emotions toward anything. This started very unannounced and has become very difficult. we have talked about things a lot and she is almost positive she is depressed. Also this is not the first time she has been depressed from what she says. the first time she went without treatment. We both love eachother very much still and want to work on everything. More recently she has not wanted to be touched. No longer likes to kiss, hug, cuddle, etc. I guess what i want to know is if this is linked to the depression. If so what can i do to make all of this better? Also is it even possible for us to be as happy as we were before the depression. She is starting therapy this week as well. Please help..
Answer This
Answers (1)
4/ 5/11 1:23pm

Robert, I'm sorry you're going through such a tough time right now.  It does sound like your wife is suffering from depression and all the symptoms you mention can be signs of it.  It's good that she's going to therapy - maybe she'll even need medication for a time as it could be postpartum depression on top of it.  It's really a good sign that she is willing to get help.

 

It's hard to answer your question because happiness is such a subjective experience.  What I can say from my own experience is that even without depression, life events will change you both in different ways - having a child, for example, while a wonderful experience, is very stressful.  Babies take a huge chunk of your time and attention, not to mention sleep!  Your wife might be feeling too exhausted right now to feel very amorous, I don't know.  It doesn't mean you love each other less, but it will be different.  Perhaps you can ask, down the road, if you could go to one of your wife's therapy sessions and talk about your concerns.  Communicating with each other is the single most important thing you can do to keep your relationship strong.  This will take some time and patience, but if you're both willing to do what it takes, you can get back some serenity in your life.  I hope your wife will soon be feeling better.  It would probably be helpful if you don't put a lot of pressure on her to "get better" or to frequently ask her how she's feeling - in other words, try not to display a lot of anxiety about her situation because it will help her relax and heal a bit more quickly.  Take care of yourself, too - you're both going through a stressful time.

Reply
Answer This

Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.

Ask a Question

Get answers from our experts and community members.

Btn_ask_question_med
View all questions (4165) >
By Robert Clendening— Last Modified: 04/05/11, First Published: 04/05/11