Father-of-one reveals his son's birth left him wishing he 'didn't exist' and says nobody asked if he was OK because people assume only women get postnatal depression
- Professor Viren Swami, who lives in Cambridge, suffered postnatal depression
- Said after his son was born two years ago he struggled to enjoy everyday things
- Revealed: 'At one point it probably dawned on me that I was probably suicidal'
- Said he didn't believe he could be suffering from postnatal depression
- Now wants to raise awareness for other fathers who may be suffering
A father-of-one has revealed his son's birth left him wishing he 'didn't exist' and says nobody asked if he was OK because people assume only women get postnatal depression.
Professor Viren Swami, who lives in Cambridge, began struggling after his unnamed son was born two years ago.
Viren told the BBC he found he couldn't enjoy everyday things and avoided spending time with his baby, before he started to feel he 'didn’t want to exist any more'.
He went on to be diagnosed with postnatal depression after his wife suggested he needed help and now wants to raise awareness for other fathers who may feel the same way.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/01/27/18/23944582-7934029-image-a-14_1580149890607.jpg)
Professor Viren Swami, who lives in Cambridge, was diagnosed with postnatal depression after his son was born two years ago (pictured together)
Viren, who works as a lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, said nobody asked him how he was feeling after his son was born.
He revealed: 'No one asked me if I was doing okay and had I been asked about my mental health, things might have been different.'
He explained: 'After my son was born two years ago, I struggled to enjoy all the normal things I normally would have.
'There was a long period of time, I don't know how long it was, but it felt like to me, every time I picked him up, he would start to cry.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/01/27/18/23944572-7934029-image-a-15_1580149897343.jpg)
Viren said he 'probably didn't believe' that he could have postnatal depression after his son's birth because he 'believed myths that it only affected mothers'
'And from that point on I almost avoided wanting to spend time with him.'
He added: 'I didn't understand what I was going through and I probably didn't believe I could have postnatal depression.
'I believed those myths that it only affected mothers.'
Viren went to the GP after his wife suggested he needed help and he was diagnosed with postnatal depression.
![He revealed at one stage of his depression he 'didn't want to exist anymore', before he was able to get help from his GP](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/01/27/12/23930708-7934029-He_revealed_at_one_stage_of_his_depression_he_didn_t_want_to_exi-a-20_1580129836309.jpg)
He revealed at one stage of his depression he 'didn't want to exist anymore', before he was able to get help from his GP
He said: 'Looking back, the signs were pretty obvious and at some point it dawned on me that I was probably suicidal. I didn’t want to exist any more.'
He now wants to see improvements to support offered to other new fathers.
He said: 'One way to change this quickly would be to give a routine assessment of all fathers for the history of their mental illnesses which means we can get them into pathways of care much quicker.'
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