Maren Morris, a country music star who is known for being forthright, continues to share her postpartum depression (PPD) journey after giving birth to her son in 2020.
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show last week she went into more detail about her fight against it and how it affected every aspect of her life.
Maren Morris let it slip during an off-the-cuff conversation that she had made the decision to cut her hair short as a symbol or metaphor for “cutting the trauma out of my hair.”
She explained further to Stern that the trauma was linked to her C-section, which had resulted in mental illness and professional disruption lasting for a long time.
Describing her struggle with postpartum depression, Morris admitted feeling like she didn’t recognize herself anymore,
It was observed by those close to her that she seemed to be losing sight of herself and everyone else around her.
She couldn’t continue working because she was overwhelmed and it resulted in canceling tours, ending all of her professional pursuits which made her feel insignificant.
The problem was stated by Maren Morris, who called it a challenge after spending a substantial part of one’s life in connection with such.
She said how difficult it can be to separate this commitment from who she is, though she loves it so much and has always depended on it for survival.
But she stressed that this does not really make up what someone is in actual sense. During this tough phase, she thought about how to differentiate between her job obligations and selfhood.
However, professional help and medication gave her relief. Maren Morris expressed gratitude for Zoloft helping with postpartum depression saying, “Zoloft is awesome.”
When asked by Howard if medication plays a crucial role in alleviating PPD Maren replied yes stating that This allowed me slowly to come back from this permanent state where I always felt drained emotionally.
Morris further expounded on her experience with postnatal depression (PPD) by saying that it was like staying in a black hole for a long time or being kept in the red zone without even knowing it.
She related this to low levels of serotonin and dopamine which she mainly attributed to pregnancy, emphasizing how emergency C-section affected her in particular.
Maren Morris expressed deep love for her baby while also acknowledging the physical and emotional strain that childbirth put on her.
In spite of how much she cares about them, she talked about how badly giving birth affected her in terms of both her self-esteem and body image.
Maren Morris, throughout the whole conversation stressed the importance of getting help when needed and taking care of your mental wellbeing especially as a new mother who is facing similar struggles.
Her goal with talking openly about her journey through postpartum depression was to remove any stigma surrounding it and let others know that they should be able to ask for help without feeling ashamed.
To conclude Maren Morris’ bravery in telling her story has become a light at the end of a tunnel for those fighting against PPD.
She has had several in depth conversations about mental health and as a result has developed many relationships with other people who have experienced the same thing she has.
She also pointed out that self-care is very important for mothers like her who are suffering from post-partum depression, anxiety disorder or any other such struggles.
Through her advocacy work, she highlights the importance of self-care first before anything else when dealing with these problems. As a consequence, this leads to creating happiness among others despite difficult times.
