You know Drew Barrymore for her gorgeous smile and awesome acting. But did you also know she battled postnatal depression?
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We all know Drew Barrymore as the golden girl of the US silver screen. But behind her bright smile and cheery personality, this mum of two has been hiding a dark secret, which she recently opened up about.
Drew battled a condition that many mums around the world face, known as postnatal depression (PND). Drew reportedly suffered from PND after giving birth to her second daughter, Frankie.
Her frank revelation comes only weeks after fellow actress Hayden Panettiere talked about her own struggle with PND, drawing attention to the fact that this condition can strike any mum, regardless of who they are or what they do.
Drew Barrymore postnatal depression: Drew says she didn’t experience PND with her first child, but battled with it for 6 months after the birth of her second child.
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PND can happen to anyone, even superstars
Drew told People magazine that her life is “perfect and totally imperfect”. She describes the moment when she first realised PND might have hit her, which was shortly after Frankie’s birth when something just didn’t feel right.
“I didn’t have postpartum the first time so I didn’t understand it because I was like, ‘I feel great!’ The second time, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa, I see what people talk about now. I understand’. It’s a different type of overwhelming with the second. I really got under the cloud.”
The 40-year-old actress reportedly felt pulled in too many directions due to the demands of work and of course motherhood.
So how did Drew deal with PND? Find out on the next page
Drew says she wants to teach her girls Olive and Frankie, the value of work
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Changing work life to suit parenthood
Drew told People Magazine that it took her about six months to recover from the condition. She describes the process of self-evaluation that eventually helped her overcome PND.
“I just got right on the idea of, where do I need to be the most? Fifty-fifty would be ideal but life doesn’t work like that. Life is messy,” says the actress. “It was just really challenging and I felt overwhelmed. I made a lot of decisions and I definitely changed my work life to suit my parenthood.”
The star, rather than dwelling negatively on her battle with PND, says she is actually grateful for the experience as it “constantly reminds her to stay present in the moment.”
Drew’s gorgeous family.
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She doesn’t deny that it’s still tough to juggle two full-time jobs, i.e., motherhood and acting (and don’t we all know it!).
But at the same time, Drew wants to set an example to her girls through her busy schedule, and reminds others not to put a negative stigma on work saying that when this is done:
“It makes us feel like it proves to our children that we don’t want to work, we’d rather be with you. I want them to see that work can be a good, positive, fun, happy thing. I’ve worked since I was 11-and-a-half months old so I have to be able to work, too. But I have to put them first. I don’t know if it’s good enough for anyone but I’m doing my best.”
We all do our best as mums – but sometimes even the strongest of us could do with some help. Mums, if you think you or anyone you know might be suffering from PND, do not hesitate to seek help. Talk to a health professional immediately.
Watch this video by NHS UK to learn about the signs and symptoms of PND:
If you’ve ever experienced PND and recovered, we’d love to hear your story. Do leave a comment below.