Alanis Morissette has revealed that she battled postpartum depression for two years, with the condition worsening after each birth of her three children.
The singer-songwriter—who shares her children Ever, 10, Onyx, 5, and Winter, 2, with husband Mario "Souleye" Treadway—revealed that she only emerged from the dark cloud of depression in recent months.
"I had postpartum depression after each pregnancy, and with each kid it got progressively worse," the Canadian musician, 47, told Today Parents on Thursday. "I'm happy to say that I'm finally on the other side of it—but it just happened in the last three months."
Morissette noticed that her mood had changed for the better around the time that her youngest child decided he no longer wanted to be breastfed.
"He didn't want it anymore, and I didn't force it," she said, before explaining how she struggled with other people's misunderstanding of postpartum depression.
"When I was in the thick of it, some people would say, 'Oh, she just needs to go for a walk.' Or, 'She just needs some sleep!'" Morissette recalled. "But news flash: It's so multilayered. It's biochemical, it's neurochemical, it's circumstantial, it's environmental. It's not just one thing, it's not a quick fix."
Morissette has deemed her rapper husband of 11 years "a superhero," as she conceded that her struggles made their marriage challenging.
"We've had our train-wreck moments because there's no real way to show him what's going on inside of my body no matter how many times I've attempted to articulate it," she said. "Unless you've experienced it, it's very hard to put into words and have people grok it."
After feeling as though she was "underwater and also covered in tar" during her worst moments, Morissette was subsequently prescribed medication.
"I had a lot of shame around being medicated," she said of her initial reluctance. "But it kept me alive and I have zero regrets. If it's needed, just do it."
The star recently returned to the stage for a string of dates celebrating the anniversary of her career-making 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, a commitment she can now face in better health overall after recovering.
"I feel like I have myself back," she said. "I didn't have access to her for so long."
According to Mayo Clinic, postpartum depression is sometimes mistaken for baby blues, which can last for days or a week or two after giving birth.
However, in the case of postpartum depression, "the signs and symptoms are more intense and last longer, and may eventually interfere with your ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks.
"Symptoms usually develop within the first few weeks after giving birth, but may begin earlier―during pregnancy―or later—up to a year after birth."
Included in the broad range of symptoms are the mother being in a depressed mood or experiencing severe mood swings, excessive crying, difficulty bonding with the baby, withdrawing from loved ones, a loss or increase of appetite, insomnia or sleeping more than usual, and anxiety and panic attacks.
"Untreated, postpartum depression may last for many months or longer," states Mayo Clinic.
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