No sugarcoating here. Reese Witherspoon, the ever-inspiring actress and mom of three, recently shared her deeply personal battle with postpartum depression. She opened up during the April 17 episode of Jameela Jamil's “I Weigh” podcast. The Oscar-winning star revealed just how overwhelming her mental health struggles were, especially after the birth of her eldest child, now 20-year-old Ava. She candidly admitted, “I felt more depressed than I’d ever felt in my entire life.”
Reese, now 44, recounted the harrowing experience with raw honesty. “It was terrifying,” she confided. “I was only 23 when I had my first baby, and nobody ever told me that when you stop breastfeeding, your hormones take a nosedive. It’s like your body just goes haywire.”
Reese’s Honest Take on Motherhood
Reese, who has Ava and 16-year-old son Deacon with her ex, Ryan Phillippe, and 7-year-old son Tennessee with her husband Jim Toth, explained that she was blindsided by the hormonal changes. “I didn’t realize just how much of a rollercoaster your hormones can be when you stop nursing,” she said. “I felt completely out of control.”
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Her Experiences Vary with Each Child
Reese, who has won an Academy Award, went on to explain how her experiences with postpartum depression varied with each of her three children. “One child, I had mild postpartum. With another, it was severe, so severe that I had to take heavy medication because I wasn’t thinking clearly at all,” she revealed. “And then with one child, I had no postpartum depression at all.”
The star of Legally Blonde also shared that she lacked the proper guidance to help her through these tough times. “I just had to tough it out on my own,” she admitted.
Destigmatizing Mental Health
Because of her personal experiences with postpartum depression, Reese emphasized the need to break down the stigma surrounding mental health. “We don’t study hormones enough, and they’re not understood nearly as well as they should be,” she explained. “I kept reaching out to my doctors for answers, but there just isn’t enough research about what happens to women’s bodies. The hormonal shifts we go through aren’t taken as seriously as they should be.”
One of the best birthdays ever!🎈So many thoughtful, beautiful, heartfelt messages from so many of you! Some poems, a home cooked meal, a wonderful performance from my friend, a long nature walk with my family…all gifts from the heart. 🥰Thank you to all of you for making me feel so LOVED! I’m a very lucky lady. 💕💫🎂
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Her Lifelong Journey with Mental Health
Reese also opened up about her lifelong journey with mental health, sharing that her struggles began at a young age. “I started therapy when I was 16,” she revealed. “I’ve definitely dealt with anxiety, and for me, that manifests as depression. My mind is like a hamster on a wheel—it never stops. I’ve been managing it my whole life.”
Reese’s courage to speak out about her mental health challenges has earned her immense respect. We admire her honesty and her efforts to destigmatize mental health struggles, making it easier for others to seek help.
