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Tag: PPD

  • Tess Holliday On Postpartum Depression: I Wished I Could Disappear

    Tess Holliday On Postpartum Depression: I Wished I Could Disappear

    The model has been open about her struggles with postpartum depression on Instagram.

    Plus-sized model Tess Holliday opened up about her battle with postpartum depression to Cosmopolitan UK.

    The 33-year-old, who launched the body positive movement (#effyourbeautystandards) in 2013, struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son Bowie, which lasted from January 2017 to the spring of 2018.

    “It felt like the water was boiling over and things were coming to the top again,” she recalled in a May post on Instagram. “I remember very vividly driving in the car with Bowie and I thought to myself, ‘I wish I could just disappear. I wish I could vanish.’”

    Holliday also confessed on Instagram, “I’ve never had suicidal thoughts, or self harm, but the thoughts of just wanting to stop hurting and feeling helpless were new and frankly overwhelming. I’ve been open about my struggles with Postpartum Depression, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized I had extreme PPD.”

    Holliday was afraid to turn to her family for help because she didn’t want to burden them. “I felt at that point like I was causing everyone around me so much pain,” she continued. “It felt like a never-ending black hole. I was so tired of hurting… I just didn’t want to be here any more.”

    Yet it was with the help of her family and antidepressants that she finally got out of the black hole. “Ask for help, talk to someone, find a support group or hell, message me. You aren’t alone and you don’t need to suffer alone.”

    Holliday confessed she still has tough days. “Some days are still filled with sadness, anxiety and helplessness,” she adds. “As I write this, I’m in the bath, crying to my life coach via text wondering how my life is so full of so many amazing things, but the good bits seem hard to reach… Moms are expected to ‘bounce back’ physically and emotionally. We are expected to ‘stay strong’ for the family. Yet most of us (myself included) still have days where we feel like a stranger in our bodies.”

    Holliday concluded, “I’m grateful to have support in my life, friends to talk to, but it got so bad that I had to take action and by doing so it potentially saved my life.” 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Serena Williams Gets Candid About "Postpartum Emotions"

    Serena Williams Gets Candid About "Postpartum Emotions"

    By being open about her issues, the tennis star is bringing awareness to postpartum depression that she says is needed.

    Tennis champ and new mom, Serena Williams, is shedding the shame of struggling with “postpartum emotions.”

    The 23-time Grand Slam champion is in the midst of a rocky comeback after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr last September.

    In July, Williams lost the chance to win her 24th Grand Slam title after ending this year’s Wimbledon tournament as runner-up. And she pulled out of the Rogers Cup in Canada (August 4-12) citing “personal reasons.”

    But in a Monday Instagram post, the tennis star shared that she was struggling with postpartum depression (or PPD).

    “Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom,” Williams wrote in the caption.

    “I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal.”

    PPD is a type of depression that occurs in women after giving birth. According to one study, postpartum depression affects about 1 in 7 women.

    “It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby,” Williams continued on Instagram. “We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be.

    “However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes.

    “I’m here to say: If you are having a rough day or week—it’s ok—I am too! There’s always [tomorrow]!”

    Williams has been candid about the challenges of being a new mom. Many of the commenters on her Instagram post are fellow moms who can relate.

    By talking through her issues, the tennis star is bringing awareness to postpartum depression that she says is needed. In a June interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, she said, “I think people need to talk about it more because it’s almost like the fourth trimester, it’s part of the pregnancy.”

    View the original article at thefix.com