[VivAquino]

I am returning to work in 2 weeks and am feeling extreme anxiety and guilt about leaving my 6-month baby. I haven't been apart from him for more than 6 hours since he's been born. Financially our family needs two incomes, and I am obligated to return to work, but am emotionally not ready. Whenever I think of it, I start crying. How can I deal with this?

[Piper G]

Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There's this strange herb called"St John's Wort"- it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John's Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced... you have that"learned behavior"in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction... There are several other techniques to help cope them!Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to....Extracted from Source.

[GG K]

Your going to have angst about going back to work because all good mothers do. The"what if's"are going to drive you insane if you let it. Just relax and keep telling yourself that it is most beneficial in the long run that you have 2 incomes supporting your family and future endeavors. Soak up all the attention you can whenever you get the chance, and cherish is because time goes by so fast when they are young.

[Robert K]

A friend of mine had post partum depression, not to say you are experiencing this, and this product she used named Gabatrol turned her totally around. It may possibly help you.

[Mary Z]

Just remember that what is good for the mother is good for the child. All involved in the family process have their own needs. Even at an early age children start to understand that they fit in to a larger picture. So getting back to work or your regular routine is really good for a baby. It provides a rythm to their world. Plus after you have picked the proper type day care for you and your child you can feel confident that the socializing they are picking up inherently is very valuable as well.But if these feeling persist or intensify see your doctor or a therapist as post partum depression is real and terrifying.Good luck with work! Enjoy.