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GypsySoul22 - I am sorry for your husbands behavior. His negativity (placing blame) surely isn't helping the situation, is it. You need a supportive environment and positive behaviors. You need encouragement. Have you checked out classes at your local community college? Most community colleges offer classes that can help you make the transition from stay at home mom to working mom. Where I live, the class is called "Women in Transition". They help you learn of all the employment possibilities and the resources available to you. They help you "polish up" and prepare for the interview process. They help you with your resume. And while enrolled in the class you have access to things like a fax machine. Also there are always jobs posted on the boards at college campuses, so it's a good place to go even if you aren't enrolled in a class... Good luck to you.
I completely understand, not to the point of needing the drugs, but feeling depressed. I have been at home with the kids since I became pregnant 5 years ago. I feel lonely, bored, and just unmotivated to do much. Sometimes I cry for no reason at all other than I hate the way my life has become. Don't get me wrong, I love my children and I love being able to spend so much time with them, but everyone needs a break every once and awhile. We recently moved and I don't know anyone here which makes it 10 times worse. Before I got pregnant, I was working and involved with so many different friends, I was never this miserable. My husband made me quit my job and has not wanted me to go back. I haven't seen any of my friends or been involved with any new friends since then. I finally joined here over the summer, and also Facebook and Myspace to reconnect with my old friends and family. I have at least felt better since I have reconnected and don't feel so alone, I have regular phone conversations with my old best friends from high school. I have also decided to move back closer to those family and friends so even if I stay home with the kids, I have people that I know and love that can bring their kids over or I can meet for a cup of coffee. My husband is very unsympatheic and thinks his job is harder than mine and he needs the breaks, which I rarely get OUTSIDE of the house. Once you say enough is enough, you will find ways that adhere to your needs and wants to make you feel better and if putting your kids in daycare even 2 days, part time a week helps, do it. Everyone needs a break and it is EXTREMELY difficult to be a SAHM 24/7. Good luck, and remember Starbucks is always a good place to chill when you can get away
I have a lot of childhood abuse issues I'm dealing with and I've become so depressed since staying home with the kids for the past year. I haven't went on antidepressants yet because I'm afraid of them (Dr suggested Zoloft).
Have any of you stay at home moms suffered from depression? How did you over come it?
I'm not a stay-at-home mom (obviously), but my wife stayed home with our kids when they were young. She also struggled with Depression.
Unless you're nursing a baby, get on Zoloft. It's not going to solve all your problems, but it'll get you to the point where your head is at least above water.
Then I think you should find a professional to talk to about some of your issues.
Again, I say, anti-depressants. St. John's Wort (the alleged anti-depressant herb) is not regulated in any way, so there can be varying amounts of herb in what you take, plus, I believe there is no evidence that it works.
Again, since you say that early issues are coming up, that points to talk or group therapy of some kind for those issues.
Again, the OP sounds far more depressed than the well-meaning suggestions of activity or such. If posters have not experienced the boiled-in-oil "I'm so sick" feelings of deep clinical depression, be grateful; and realize that well-meaning advice is painful. During the depth of my experience, a co-worker threw a newspaper towards me and said, "Read about Lebanon, now THAT's depressing." And yes, I walked around the lake, and came home and slept another 18 hours.
Really, the well-meaning people do not know what they are talking about.
I have been at home with the kids since I became pregnant 5 years ago. I feel lonely, bored, and just unmotivated to do much. Sometimes I cry for no reason at all other than I hate the way my life has become. Don't get me wrong, I love my children...
Years ago I read a book called What's A Smart Woman Like You Doing at Home? by Linda Burton, Janet Dittmar and Cheri Loveless. (It's still available on Amazon.) It made me feel less alone in my decision to be home with my kids temporarily. I found it very hard to connect with other SAHM's who either seemed very perky and enthusiastic or had completely different interests than I. And you really need all the support you can get since the benefits of the job are so intangible.
As a husband and dad, I think it's imperative for me to say how incredibly important I think mothering is! I know that I'm just sharing my opinion, but come on - whoever has led us to think that being a stay at home mom means that you're not working, or wasting your time, is clueless.
Being a mom is the most important job in the world!
Somebody else can teach the kids at public school. Somebody else can be an account supervisor, or architect, or loan officer. But nobody else can raise your kids with as much love and affection as you do.
Two of our kids are grown, and our third is about to graduate from high school. Believe me when I say that the rewards of being a mother are rich - and they will be coming!
And yes, I walked around the lake, and came home and slept another 18 hours. Really, the well-meaning people do not know what they are talking about.
You keep giving the impression that only ill-informed people recommend exercise for depression, but that just simply isn't true. The research evidence is clear that exercise is helpful for most people suffering from depression, even for patients with a co-diagnosis like fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. Maybe walking around the lake was too much and not a well-timed intervention for you, but please stop saying the advice to exercise is wrong because you are creating a situation where people reading this may doubt their health care provider when their doctor or therapist recommends a carefully designed and implemented exercise program as a component of treatment for depression. You don't have to take my word for it...30 seconds on Google is enough to find a ton of articles on this topic.
Yes, I know. None of the activities mentioned are bad or wrong, and supposedly exercise does release endorphins. But I emphasize, in deep clinical depression, it's not what is lacking. And if the OP is mentioning childhood trauma that is coming up, that can be very dangerous without professional help. People can really fall into the abyss.
Yes, a *component* of healthier behaviors. But when you're lying on the floor for a week, not dressing or eating and crying until you throw up, it's a little late. I stand on this personally and professionally.
An aside, I think it helps to think of "medication" and not "drugs."
And if the OP is mentioning childhood trauma that is coming up, that can be very dangerous without professional help. People can really fall into the abyss.
There's something upon which we can agree: get professional help.
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You need a supportive environment and positive behaviors. You need encouragement. Have you checked out classes at your local community college? Most community colleges offer classes that can help you make the transition from stay at home mom to working mom. Where I live, the class is called "Women in Transition". They help you learn of all the employment possibilities and the resources available to you. They help you "polish up" and prepare for the interview process. They help you with your resume. And while enrolled in the class you have access to things like a fax machine. 
Also there are always jobs posted on the boards at college campuses, so it's a good place to go even if you aren't enrolled in a class... Good luck to you.
