If you are suffering from PND, accepting you have the illness is a big step. Suddenly, that vision you had of what it would be like when you brought your baby home and became its mother has been interrupted by an unwelcome intruder. You didn't ask it in, but it came anyway and now you must accept it is here and work out how to get rid of it.

If getting rid of your PND includes taking medication this too can require a big adjustment on your part - suddenly you are way out of your comfort zone. You have a baby to look after, a challenge in itself, especially if you are a first time mum, plus you have to get your head around your PND and the fact that you have now been prescribed anti-depressants.

The chances are you have never taken anything other than antibiotics in your life and so the reality of being prescribed anti-depressants can come as a big shock, especially if you are into organic food, detoxing and looking after your body which many of us are these days...

BUT- be in no doubt - taking these tablets can make you feel a LOT better quickly. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to give them a try. The quicker you recover the faster you will feel like your old self and the sooner you can get on with your life.

You cannot become addicted to anti-depressants so be brave and give them a chance to help you.

If your doctor also refers you to a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) don't be afraid. If you have any images of Victorian style mental asylums in your head remember that these days things are very different. Your CPN is going to be a friendly, well trained professional who will probably visit you at home on a regular basis until you feel better. She is there to listen, for you to talk to and ultimately to help you get better.

These days medication for depression and anxiety can be prescribed to target the specific areas of the brain which are causing your illness. That is why it is very important that you describe your symptoms carefully when you visit your doctor.

Most antidepressants take about two weeks to start working to the extent that you feel a subtle lifting of your symptoms, though some gentle therapeutic effect can often be felt around three to four days after you begin taking your medication. This can take the form of relief from anxiety - suddenly you find you are somehow not quite as anxious as before, maybe your physical symptoms such as palpitations or extreme tension are easing or perhaps you are not quite as tearful, sad or panicky. Maybe you feel a bit more like doing things around the house such as making a cup of tea or dressing your baby - things are no longer quite such an effort though they may still be daunting.

You must be patient as recovery takes time but these tablets can be all you need to regain control of your life and get to grips with your recovery.

If, however, you are not beginning to feel better after two or three weeks you absolutely MUST go back to your doctor as soon as possible and discuss it as you may not be on the right medication. 'Better' in this sense doesn't mean fully recovered it just means that you feel you are making progress, things are improving subtly and you are regaining control. Do NOT stop your medication without your doctor's knowledge, or change your dose. Some medication can make you feel worse and your doctor will need to find the medication that works for you. Warning signs that things are going in the wrong direction include:

• An increase in the frequency of crying
• Doing increasingly less around the house
• Having increasingly less to do with your baby
• An increase in or emergence of panic attacks
• Withdrawal from social situations which may include: social interaction outside the home, answering the phone, seeing visitors in the home
• An increase in insomnia
• Increase in thoughts of self-harm and/or harming your baby

If you are in any doubt ask for a second opinion. If there is something you do regularly each week such as watching a TV programme or getting your baby weighed you can use that as a gauge of how you are feeling. Your 'regular event' can act as a controlled environment for you to gauge your recovery which can be very useful and give you confidence that you truly are getting better.

Once you are taking medication which works for you, you will find that some of the more upsetting symptoms of PND such as thoughts of self harm or harm to the baby, or a fear of being alone disappear quickly. Your sleep will start to improve as your medication takes effect. Once you are able to rest, you will find that you have a greater capacity to cope with the day. You may not have energy as you used to yet but somehow things will be getting better. In time you will resume a 'normal' life, you will be back in charge of your house, looking after your baby yourself, able to go out and meet other mums and slowly but surely life will return to delicious normality and you will enjoy it.

Often people who have had PND find that as they recover they embrace life with a new understanding, a new inner strength. Though this may be hard to understand at the time, your recovery from PND will give you an understanding of quite what an amazingly strong person you are. Because it's true. You are amazing and you have been and are being incredibly brave in dealing with this unwanted illness.

Always remember:

You are loved and you will recover