Drew Barrymore shares her story of postpartum depression

Drew Barrymore, 40 and husband Will Kopelman, 38 are proud parents of two gorgeous little girls Olive, 3, and Frankie, 18 months. It hasn’t always been easy though.

Drew recently opened up to People about her battle with postpartum depression after the birth of daughter, Frankie.

“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. 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. 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.”

Launching her new memoir Wildflower, Drew also spoke to Enews recently about the chapter in her book which discusses her PPD.

“The chapter that I wrote that includes Toni [Collette] is called Postpartum Me, but really it’s just a wonderful little exploration of how you just try to find the balance of it all. And it is a beautiful time and an emotional time and an overwhelming time. But it’s where you call on yourself to become that strong and amazing nurturing animal and conquer everything and get ahead of it. It’s just an amazing transition, but it is a transition.”

Drew said she struggled for about six months, and it really taught her to live in the moment. “One thing at a time.”

Did you or someone you know suffer with postpartum depression? SHARE your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Main image source: Getty Images

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18 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 02 Jan 2022
    4:03 pm
She is such a sweetie. Good on her for sharing publicly.

- - ella12 said
  - 13 Sep 2016
    4:15 pm
I had the anxiety side of it. Well done and a big thumbs up to Drew for sharing her story.

- - rachelvk said
  - 24 Dec 2015
    12:00 pm
Well done Drew for opening up and use her profile to raise awareness. I imagine it would not have been an easy thing for her to do.

- - Nas01 said
  - 07 Dec 2015
    11:06 am
It’s great that she opened up and used her public profile to raise more awareness on a topic that can still attract stigma.

- - cherz said
  - 29 Nov 2015
    4:09 pm
Wonderful of Drew and other celebs to take about this and bring it to the forefront. Well done and best wishes to all.

- - stephrat said
  - 13 Nov 2015
    1:53 am
Kudos to Drew Barrymore and other celebrities who are bringing more awareness to PND, which I think is so under-discussed. Society still thinks of PND as “something in the mind” of mothers who suffer from it. I had PND and was told to “snap out of it”. What a pity.

- - mom81879 said
  - 11 Nov 2015
    6:52 am
I have recently heard that Drew and her husband have separated The reason given was Drews uncontrollable mood swings. I wonder if this is related to her postpartum depression?

- - mom94378 said
  - 08 Nov 2015
    8:28 pm
It can happen to anyone really.

- - purplehaze said
  - 04 Nov 2015
    1:26 pm
Yes, good to see Drew opening up about it, reducing the stigma. It really can happen to anyone no matter who they are.
I had it to various degrees after the births of my children, and during 3 pregnancies, am struggling with it now. It is not easy.

- - rovermum said
  - 04 Nov 2015
    12:14 pm
I suffered PND and talk about it to anyone who’ll listen. That’s my coping mechanism. My husband and I both suffered PND – it took us 4 years to get pregnant, for a difficult pregnancy that had me sick for the entire 9 months, for a difficult birth and traumatic first year. We were both medicated (lucky my son turned out ok) and worked through it with family and medical support. I love that someone as high profile as Drew can talk about it and help remove the stigma. It can and does happen to anyone.

- - mum4107 said
  - 04 Nov 2015
    5:37 am
Great to see another star opening up. Yes I did suffer from it along with anxiety

- - mom101628 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    11:00 pm
I didn’t have it with my second child because I lost a baby between my first and second. But I did have it with my third. Didn’t know what it was and wasn’t diagnosed – and I think it has caused a rift to this day. Even though I love her dearly – we are not as close as I am with the rest of my children.

- - Missey Grace said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    10:55 pm
Yes I had friends who went through PPD and we used to talk about it and exchange messages of encouragement, it’s so important to have support and not hiding the problem.

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    8:06 pm
It’s great that high profile stars are talking about PND.

- - Bernie said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    7:36 pm
The more women talk about this the better, I’m so glad when celebrities open up about their struggles – hopefully it makes other women feel they are not alone.
I had postpardum depression with my second too. It’s horrible to think you enjoyed your first child and felt so confident but can’t seem to enjoy the second. There’s so much guilt attached to that experience.

I love that Drew has opened up. Getting help is so important.

- - mom81879 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    3:42 pm
I am so glad I didn’t experience this. How horrid to have such sad feelings at such a happy time! I really feel for the mums who have or are suffering with it. It’s still such a hugely misunderstood disorder

- - mom90758 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    2:24 pm
I haven’t suffered with postpartum depression, but I can imagine it must be so difficult. I’m sure Drew’s experience will help a lot of other mothers.

- - JessyJade190490 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    1:57 pm
Yet another famous person opening up about the taboo of Post-partum depression. How amazing this is, such a taboo subject but also one that needs to be out there for mothers to know that they are not alone and it can affect anyone and everyone!