By now, we have all seen the stories coming out about Chrissy Teigan and her battle with postpartum depression. I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated celebrities and stars bringing these important topics to the forefront. By talking openly about mental illness, it can help reduce or eliminate the stigma that hovers closely around so much in this space. My hope is one day we will live in a society where not a single person is afraid to step forward and say “I need help.”
We recently had a conversation about postpartum depression on the Letters Against Depression Facebook page. I wanted to share some of the responses we got from our community to help bridge an understanding of what it is like for those battling it.
Here’s what they said:
1. “It feels like even though you’ve just [gone] through one of the most amazing adventures in life, you can’t do it right. You feel as though your baby hates you, you’re tired, hungry. This all makes the depression worse.” — Heather K.
2. “[It feels like] there’s something wrong. I’m missing something, something important.” — Christine F.
3. “You start thinking your baby is better off without you, that you didn’t deserve the baby and as much as you love them, you kind of don’t want to be around them. They smile and giggle and it’s supposed to be the most amazing warming feeling inside of you, but instead [it] makes you sad because you once again start to think you’re not good enough for [the] baby.” — Priscila C.
4. “It’s like the world outside [is] on fast forward passing you by. The clock hands are whizzing round. It’s afternoon and no matter how hard you’ve tried, you’re still in your pajamas at 4 p.m.” — Jules E.
If you or a loved one is affected by postpartum depression or other postpartum disorders and need help, you can call Postpartum Support International‘s hotline at 1-800-944-4773.
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Thinkstock photo via Transfuchsian.