Raising Mental Health Awareness
- Model Chrissy Teigen, who battled postpartum depression, and her singer husband John Legend recently celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary this month. They have remained strong throughout the years and we’re happy to see their love holding strong.
- Teigen previously suffered postpartum depression after having her first child. Postpartum depression, which according to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Office On Women’s Health, is “a serious mental health condition that involves the brain and affects your behavior and physical health.”
- Our experts agree that seeking mental health treatment can help you cope with overwhelming emotions, whether it be from postpartum depression, anxiety, or feelings that arise after a diagnosis.
- Treatment could include traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking out a support group, or many other approaches.
Teigen took to social media to share playful footage on their anniversary this month, writing, “Happy anniversary to my favorite person on this whole planet. Thank you for loving me and our family so fully.
Read MoreIn the video, she’s seen telling her husband to “do that thing I like,” with Marvin Gaye’s song “Let’s Get It On” playing in the background, before he proceeds to press play on her laptop so that she can watch her favorite reality show.View this post on Instagram
Teigen met Legend back in September 2006 on the set of his music video “Stereo,” as she, who was age 20 at the time, played the role of his love interest.
They ultimately married seven years later on September 14, 2013. Now they have four children: eight-year-old Luna, six-year-old Miles, and her two one-year-old’s Esti and Wren.
We’re delighted to see Teigen’s love for Legend continuing to grow, especially after they suffered a pregnancy loss in 2020, and she dealt with postpartum depression years prior.
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On Sept. 30, 2020, Teigen shared a tribute post to her late son, writing, “We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough.
“We never decide on our babies’ names until the last possible moment after they’re born, just before we leave the hospital. But we, for some reason, had started to call this little guy in my belly Jack. So he will always be Jack to us. Jack worked so hard to be a part of our little family, and he will be, forever.”
She continued, “To our Jack – I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you. Thank you to everyone who has been sending us positive energy, thoughts and prayers. We feel all of your love and truly appreciate you.
“We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”
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Prior to that, in 2017, Teigen opened up about how she also battled postpartum depression, which according to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Office On Women’s Health, is “a serious mental health condition that involves the brain and affects your behavior and physical health.”
“‘Postpartum’ means the time after having a baby. Some women get the ‘baby blues,’ or feel sad, worried, or tired within a few days of giving birth. For many women, the baby blues go away in a few days. If these feelings don’t go away or you feel sad, hopeless, or anxious for longer than two weeks, you may have postpartum depression. Feeling hopeless after childbirth is not a regular or expected part of being a mother,” the office explains.
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“If you have depression, then sad and hopeless feelings don’t go away and can interfere with your day-to-day life. You might not feel connected to your baby, as if you are not the baby’s mother, or you might not love or care for the baby. These feelings can be mild to severe.”
Teigen suffered postpartum depression after giving birth to her eldest daughter Luna, she previously explained in an essay she wrote for Glamour.
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She wrote, “Let me start here: To a lot of you, I think, I seem like the happiest person on the planet. I have an incredible husband—John and I have been together for over 10 years. He has seen my successes and failures; I’ve seen his. He has seen me at my worst, but I will say I don’t think I have ever seen him at his.
“He’s exactly as compassionate, patient, loving, and understanding as he seems. And I hate it. OK, I don’t hate it. But it can certainly drive you nuts sometimes when you’re as cynical as I am. If I weren’t me, I would politely excuse myself to make the most epic eye roll of all time if a woman talked to me about her significant other the way I just did to you.”
Teigen then explained her struggle with postpartum depression, “I had everything I needed to be happy. And yet, for much of the last year, I felt unhappy. What basically everyone around me, but me, knew up until December was this: I have postpartum depression. How can I feel this way when everything is so great?
“I’ve had a hard time coming to terms with that, and I hesitated to even talk about this, as everything becomes such a “thing.” During pregnancy, what I thought were casual comments about IVF turned into headlines about me choosing the sex of my daughter. And I can already envision what will be said about me after this admission. But it’s such a major part of my life and so, so many other women’s lives. It would feel wrong to write anything else. So here goes.”
She admitted that in the months after her giving birth to Luna, she continued to be exhausted and simple tasks like getting out of bed was difficult for her.
“My lower back throbbed; my shoulders—even my wrists—hurt. I didn’t have an appetite. I would go two days without a bite of food, and you know how big of a deal food is for me. One thing that really got me was just how short I was with people,” she wrote.
“I couldn’t figure out why I was so unhappy. I blamed it on being tired and possibly growing out of the role: ‘Maybe I’m just not a goofy person anymore. Maybe I’m just supposed to be a mom.'”
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Teigen expressed how grateful she was when she learned what was causing her to feel the way she was, ultimately admitting she didn’t think it could happen to her. She then hoped to help other women like herself become more open about being “postpartum.”
She added, “Postpartum does not discriminate. I couldn’t control it. And that’s part of the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I’m struggling. Sometimes I still do.
“I know I might sound like a whiny, entitled girl. Plenty of people around the world in my situation have no help, no family, no access to medical care. I can’t imagine not being able to go to the doctors that I need. … I’m speaking up now because I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.”
Teigen insisted, “I also don’t want to pretend like I know everything about postpartum depression, because it can be different for everybody. But one thing I do know is that, for me, just merely being open about it helps. This has become my open letter.”
Understanding Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression occurs in about one in eight new mothers in the year after childbirth, the U.S.Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health explains.
The office notes that normal changes that occur after giving birth can result in symptoms similar to those of depression.
If a new mom is experiencing symptoms of depression for more than two weeks, it’s important to contact your doctor.
Symptoms could range from feeling angry, sad, moody, hopeless, guilty, shameful, or eating less or more than normal. Other symptoms could be abnormal crying or sadness, loss of interest in things one used to like doing, thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, and withdrawing from family or friends.
“Some women don’t tell anyone about their symptoms. New mothers may feel embarrassed, ashamed, or guilty about feeling depressed when they are supposed to be happy. They may also worry they will be seen as bad mothers. Any woman can become depressed during pregnancy or after having a baby,” the Office on Women’s Health adds.
“It doesn’t mean you are a bad mom. You don’t have to suffer. There is help. Your doctor can help you figure out whether your symptoms are caused by depression or something else.”
Mental Health: The Basics
The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or change in your physical health can affect mental health. It’s really important to keep tabs on your mental health and, if necessary, seek treatment. This doesn’t necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Problems with mood and overall mental well-being can be attributed to several factors. For some people it’s genetic, while others may be experiencing a response to some sort of stressor or past trauma.
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In order to keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of signs which can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind. These signs include:
- A change in eating or sleeping habits
- Losing interest in people or usual activities
- Experiencing little or no energy
- Numb and/or hopeless feelings
- Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual
- Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
- Yelling/fighting with loved ones
- Experiencing mood swings
- Intrusive thoughts
- Trouble getting through daily tasks
These symptoms can be wide-ranging and vary a great deal from person to person. Everyone experiences grief differently, for example.
However, if you are feeling unusually sad, on-edge, or like you’re no longer interested in activities you used to love, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.
Understanding Treatment Options
Treatment options for people struggling with mental health really run the gamut. While some people may benefit from seeking the help of a psychologist and getting on medication, others see great improvement by simply implementing some lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing exercise and cutting back on alcohol.
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Those struggling should know that they are not alone about one in five American adults has experienced some sort of mental health issue, according to mentalhealth.gov.
However, what worked to help someone else cope may not necessarily help you as treatment must be individualized.
Dr. Scott Irwin, a Psychiatrist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Explains Talk Therapy
To maintain a positive mindset and address mental health struggles you may be having, treatment may include:
- Seeking professional help from a psychiatrist or therapist
- Learning healthy coping skills
- Medication such as antidepressants
- Adding more physical activity to your routine
- Adjusting your sleep schedule
- Connecting with others via support groups
- Mindfulness and meditation
Dr. Daynelle Dedmond, a Gynecologic Oncologist at Centura Health in Colorado Springs, On Mental Health Treatment
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you find yourself struggling with a mental health issue, or a diagnosis, or even helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions:
- How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
- Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
- When should I seek other interventions if I’m still struggling?
- What are the steps to finding a different therapist if the one I’m using is not working out?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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