Confessions From a Postpartum Depression Survivor

Jen Schwartz
Thrive Global
Published in
4 min readMay 17, 2017

Four years ago, I suffered from severe postpartum depression. I had no idea that could happen to me. I had no idea what was happening to me. All I knew was that something was wrong with me because I was the only one who didn’t experience the magic of motherhood. I know now that’s not true. I know now that hundreds of thousands of new moms suffer from postpartum depression each year. Many just don’t talk about.

Image courtesy of Unsplash

In honor of Mental Health Awareness month and because maternal mental health matters, I’m sharing the heartbreaking thoughts that constantly filled my mind while I was sick. I hope that if I share, so will you. We can be brave together and shed more light on this taboo subject of motherhood.

Here are several postpartum depression confessions, from me, The Medicated Mommy.

Postpartum depression told me so many lies.

Postpartum depression convinced me I didn’t want to be a mother.

Postpartum depression made me feel like I had to hide my feelings.

Postpartum depression made me question everything I thought I knew about motherhood.

Postpartum depression convinced me I would stay sick forever.

Postpartum depression made turned me into a beggar.

Postpartum depression made me ask “Why?”

Postpartum Depression showed me the necessity of getting professional treatment.

Postpartum depression taught me the importance of taking care of myself so I could take care of my baby.

Postpartum depression taught me I wasn’t alone.

Postpartum Depression led me to accept and fall in love with the mom I was, not the one I belived I should have been.

At some point, all of us will know a new mom suffering from some form of postpartum depression. It’s up to all of us to educate ourselves so no new mom suffers in silence. Click here to receive your free copy of my WTF are Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: The Friends and Family Guide For How to Help, What to Do and What Not to Say.

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Jen Schwartz
Thrive Global

Founder, MOTHERHOOD-UNDERSTOOD, Writer, Speaker and Over-Sharer, PPD/PPA Survivor, Maternal Mental Health Advocate, Stigma Fighter, Empathy Spreader