It’s hard to picture the original American sweetheart Reese Witherspoon battling inner demons of her own. After spending close to 29 years in the industry, Witherspoon, 44, recently acknowledged that she suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to her children.
In a tell-all interview on the podcast I Weigh, Witherspoon told host Jameela Jamil, “I’ve had three kids. After each child, I faced a different experience. With one kid I had a kind of mild postpartum, and with the other, I had severe postpartum where I had to take pretty heavy medication because I just wasn’t thinking straight at all, and then I had one kid where I had no postpartum at all.”
The Legally Blonde star who shares Ava and Deacon with ex Ryan Phillippe and youngest son Tennessee, 7, with husband Jim Roth, also spoke about abolishing celebrity culture, battling anxiety, and postpartum depression.
However, this isn't the first time that the entrepreneur has publicly spoken about her mental health issues.
The Onset Of Anxiety
What does Chrissy Teigan, Demi Lovato, Reese Witherspoon, and Lady Gaga have in common? They all suffer from anxiety.
As per a medically reviewed Health Central report, in some cases of anxiety, patients end up feeling like they’ve lost control. To regain this loss, patients display excessive authority and dominance in their external world so that they feel safe and in command.
In 2011, when asked about finding any similarity to her character Marlena in Water For Elephants, Witherspoon told LA Times, “Marlena got her life wound so tightly and controlled down to every detail...you know when you feel terribly out of control, you try to control everything and keep it small. Then comes this Jacob character: idealistic, young and hopeful...For me, this movie is about optimism, that second chances are possible. And be fearless in your decision-making.”
Her anxiety bubbled to the surface when she had to shoot with a real elephant. “I didn’t sleep, and I shook and shook and shook. Against my better instincts, I decided to ride the elephant with no harness. But the performances with the elephant were magical for me. It was pretty great,” the New Orleans resident had revealed.
Another report stated how anxiety patients also battle deep-rooted insecurities. Not surprisingly, Witherspoon has spoken about it as well. “People may think I have this dream life, but for years I worried about my looks. I thought I was too short or not thin enough to become a Hollywood star. I was constantly being told, ‘No, not right, not tall enough, not pretty enough, not sexy enough.’ I wasn’t allowed to audition for roles. They saw me as too cute and girlie. So I decided if I was to succeed, I had to face facts. I could never be the sexiest, thinnest girl in Hollywood,” she explained to The Sun.
For Wild (2014), Witherspoon had employed a hypnotist to help her prepare for the sex-scenes. “(Hypnosis) was so helpful. I get panic attacks, especially right before I start a movie. Half the time on set I felt like I’m hanging on by the seat of my pants and I don’t know what the heck I am doing.”
Postpartum Depression Came Calling
According to The Independent, Witherspoon has lived with anxiety for a long time ; and had first sought therapy at the age of 16. “I had anxiety. My anxiety manifests as depression so I would get really depressed,” the Walk The Line actress confessed to Jamil. “My brain is like a hamster on a wheel and it won’t come off. I’ve been managing it my entire life.”
By her admission, anxiety gave way to postpartum depression when she gave birth to Ava. “We don’t understand the hormonal roller coaster that you go through when you stop nursing. No one explained that to me. I was 23-years-old when I had my first baby and nobody explained to me that when you wean a baby, your hormones go into the toilet. I felt more depressed than I’d ever felt in my whole life. It was scary,” the 2006 Oscar winner explained.
The lack of adequate support made it even worse. “I didn’t have the right kind of guidance or help. I just white-knuckled back,” she said. Despite having a mother who had worked as a pediatric nurse for 35 years, Witherspoon felt defeated and couldn’t reach out to her because “there wasn’t the type of communication we have now.”
In retrospect, the American actress-turned-producer opined that the mental health of mothers is a neglected research topic and isn’t taken seriously.
“I kept reaching out to my doctors for answers and there just isn’t enough research about what happens to women’s bodies. The hormonal shifts that we have just aren’t taken as seriously as I think they should. Hormones are under-studied and not understood,” she asserted.
Hopefully, Witherspoon's account inspires more celebrities to speak up, seek help, and make way for healing in their lives.