Richard Young's wife Rhonda was on a high after giving birth, but he was far from it.

The teacher is one of the few men in the country to have suffered from post-natal depression.

It is a condition so rare in men, at first doctors did not diagnose the illness, which made Richard sink into a black hole and even attempt suicide.

He has only just recovered from his terrible affliction which nearly robbed him of his lovely wife and three children - Harry, four, Jack, two and Tom, ten months old.

Richard, 34, of New Way Lane, Hurstpierpoint, said: "I have felt as desperate as you can ever feel in your life. How could I have attempted to take my life when I have a wonderful wife and family?

"Right from the word go I felt so powerless to help Rhonda when she was so ill during all the pregnancies.

"After she had our first child, I expected to get my wife back and for everything to be normal again but it was not the case. Everything had changed and I suppose like a lot of dad's I felt excluded.

"I also had strong feelings that I was not going to be good enough as a father - I felt inadequate in every way. I also spoke about it superficially with friends. Most were sympathetic but some just ignored the whole issue completely.

"I felt quite embarrassed about talking about it as I'm sure people thought I was making it up."

It all began four years ago when Rhonda was ill with their first child Harry. She felt sick at the smell of things so innocuous such as the whiff of a car interior.

At the end of a difficult pregnancy, Rhonda, 38, had to have a caesarean, which Richard was not allowed to attend.

Rhonda said: "After the birth, I felt wonderful - sky high. Ironically, Richard felt worse. I knew he felt sad that he wasn't with me during Harry's birth but when we got home from hospital he was just wasn't himself.

"I was elated at having a baby and becoming a mum, but I was upset with Richard for being depressed. At the end of the day, I was extremely worried about him."

Rhonda persuaded her husband to see his doctor, who prescribed him the anti-depressant Prozac.

Richard said: "The doctor recognised depression but we didn't realise it was directly connected with the birth of Harry. I thought I just had to cope with it. I managed to hold it together for my day job but, by the time I came home, I was washed out."

Eight months later, Rhonda was pregnant again with Tom. Richard's depression got worse but he was still managing to cope. It put a severe strain on their relationship as Rhonda had to cope with two children virtually on her own.

Things got so bad that Rhonda, who is a health visitor, thought about putting her children into care.

After having difficulties with her second pregnancy, Rhonda finally brought Tom home and that is when Richard flipped.

He said: "It was three weeks after Rhonda came home that I felt I just couldn't take anymore. I just wanted to draw some money from the bank and just leave but I knew it wasn't going to be that simple.

"Rhonda and the children are the light of my life and I just couldn't cope without them. The house was just was so noisy, hectic and untidy and I felt I wasn't part of it."

Richard finally decided to take matters into his own hands and contacted a private clinic, who advised him to become a live-in patient for a few months to help him cope with his nightmare.

Rhonda said: "We noticed that Richard's feelings seemed to be linked to the births of the children but we didn't actually think it was post-natal depression until he was diagnosed after Tom's birth.

"This was when things reached crisis point and Richard checked himself into a clinic."

Richard said: "It was such a sense of relief. My illness had finally been identified by someone of authority and I could now be treated for it."

However, things got worse for Richard and he attempted suicide shortly after being admitted to the clinic.

He said: "I felt as desperate as you could ever feel in your life. I felt that Rhonda and the boys would be better off without me and that I was just a drain on them.

"I took the razors out of my razor blade and cut my wrists - it was an awful time."

Five months later, Richard came back to the family home and managed to see things in a much clearer light. He felt more wanted and integrated himself into normal family life.

He said: "What I am very sad about is that post-natal depression wasn't diagnosed earlier and then I could have had more specific counselling. I wouldn't feel that I have wasted years of my life."

Richard said he was now thoroughly enjoying being a parent and his advice to anyone who thinks they could be suffering after the birth of a child is to seek help immediately.

He said: "Bring post-natal depression to the attention of your doctor and hopefully they can get you the help you need. I wish I had gone earlier and been more persistent.

"I love all my children but we're not having anymore - Rhonda's seen to that and sent me for a vasectomy.

"I am not planning on returning to my teaching. I am going to stay at home and look after the children while Rhonda returns to work.

"I think we can make it work. I want to have a go at it and spend more time with my children. I need to make up for the years I feel I have missed."