Chrissy Teigen Opens Up About Postpartum Depression And Receives Overwhelming Support

American model and author Christine Teigen recently welcomed her second child with singer-songwriter John Legend. She has since received a lot of attention for opening up about the realities of Postpartum Depression. A condition suffered by one in nine women.

(Photo Credit: Twitter @chrissyteigen)

The two tweet chain was showered with likes and retweets, but the most important part for me comes in the form of the replies.

Many women took to the comments to voice their support of the celebrity for speaking so honestly about the condition affecting 1 in 9 women who give birth. She was also praised for strongly advocating a message of being healthy and happy in yourself above all else. Some of the emphatic replies include:

“It’s refreshing to see someone say this. Thank you. I lost a bunch of weight went from 210 to 160 and finally settled at 165 and putting back on weight has depressed me but seeing you say this speaks to me.” by @AshleyK2527

“Thank you for promoting a healthy view of beauty! Beauty is how we feel in our bodies… not how much we weigh!” @Dezlolo

“Girl, same. After my second child, I was walking 4 miles a day after a long day, crying over laundry and barely eating. Postpartum depression is a beast, and while I was the thinnest ever, I was the unhappiest ever. You’re awesome for embracing the healthier you!” @ericak2011

(Photo Credit: Instagram @chrissyteigen)

Postpartum depression can be a horrific ordeal for some new mothers, ‘causing similar symptoms to clinical depression. Despite the fact that Postpartum depression is so common in new mothers, there is a stigmatism attached to the condition which has prevented women from feeling bale to talk freely about the problem which can be life-threatening. In fact, the condition only this year received its first drug to be prescribed for its treatment. In addition to this, Medical Express quotes the numbers of women suffering who actually seek treatment as less than half those affected. Psychiatrist Dr. Martha Weld claims, ‘There is tremendous stigma around postpartum depression for women […] Many women experience great shame and feel inadequate as mothers if they struggle with depression at a time that is supposed to be joyous.’ and goes on further to say, ‘Because of this stigma, many women choose to not seek help and endure great suffering in silence’.

The fact that such a significant portion of women do not feel able to seek treatment for something causing such drastic health problems, especially at a time which should be filled with happiness and excitement, is horrific! However, seeing women feeling able to talk about their struggles with the affliction as a response to Teigen’s comments is massively uplifting, and also hopefully a real signifier of change in regards to the stigma attached to the illness.

Chrissy has previously made comments about suffering from Postpartum Depression, reported upon by Women’s Health magazine. Some of her symptoms included; significant weight loss as a result of drinking too much and ending up on anti-depressants.

(Photo Credit: Instagram @chrissyteigen)

At a time when it is so easy to find examples of comments sections filled with people at each other’s throats for a variety of issues, it is freakin’ refreshing to find a chain on twitter where people can feel as though they can talk honestly about the problems that affect them. Celebrities can normalize these issues, social media influencers allowing themselves to be vulnerable can help everyday people who struggle in silence.

It is easy to criticize social media figures as being nothing more than a tool to manipulate social opinion. Telling us ‘what to buy’ and ‘where to go’ etc. However, the message here is a simple one: be happy in yourself. While that may sound simplistic to some it really freakin’ isn’t!

If only  more celebrities and social media ‘stars’ (and yes, I’m somewhat loathe to use that term) were to use their influence to spread messages about issues affecting both themselves and ‘real’ people, they can use their significant influence for good… as opposed to telling us where to buy the most expensive coffees. AAx

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