Hayden Panettiere has long been open about her struggle with postpartum depression (PPD). The actress and singer developed the mental health condition after giving birth to her daughter in December 2014, and has been battling it ever since. But in a recent interview with Good Morning America, Panettiere revealed that her struggle with PPD helped her realize her own resilience. "I think I’m all the stronger for it," she told the interviewers. "You don’t feel like yourself, [but] women are so resilient—and that’s the incredible thing about them."
Postpartum depression is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion after childbirth. The condition impacts nearly 15 percent of new mothers, and is different from the "baby blues"—a term describing the mild feelings of concern and unhappiness 80 percent of new mothers experience. Causes for PPD are largely unknown, but the condition "does not occur because of something a mother does or does not do," according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Panettiere first entered a treatment center to cope with her PPD in October 2015—almost a year after giving birth to daughter Kaya Evdokia. She then went back to a treatment facility in Utah in May 2016. And experts say this is normal—the periods of recovery for women with PPD vary immensely. "I see women who were treated for postpartum depression after their first baby and still remain on medications as they begin their third pregnancy," Julie Lamppa, APRN, a certified nurse midwife at the Mayo Clinic, previously told SELF. "Conversely, some women will only need treatment for a short time to help get them through a rough spot."
But while her battle hasn't been a short one, Panettiere focused on the positives of her PPD experience in her Good Morning America interview. "I think it helped me identify what was going on and let women know that it’s OK to have a moment of weakness," she said. "[Having PPD] doesn’t make you a bad person—doesn’t make you a bad mother. It makes you a very strong, resilient woman...You’ve just got to let it make you stronger."
We continue to wish Panettiere the best as she continues her parenting journey, and we thank her for her honesty in so openly discussing this difficult experience.
If you or someone you know is struggling with postpartum depression, help is available. You can join a Postpartum Support International support group, or you can chat with an expert online to learn more about your condition and your options. You can also click here to discover what local resources are available to you. And you can and should always talk to a physician.
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Also: These Moms Talked About Postpartum Depression And It Got Real (BuzzFeed)
