In an essay written for Glamour published on Monday, Chrissy Teigen opened up about suffering from postpartum depression. Now that this detail about her life is out in the open for anyone to comment on, Chrissy Teigen has an important reminder for everyone who is aware of her battle. She took to Twitter and wrote, "Important note: please don't feel like you have to tiptoe around me! It is the most uncomfortable feeling ahhhh only downside to sharing PPD." She then added, "All of a sudden everyone's 'how are you!' turns to 'how arrrrrre you??????' know what I'm saying? No? Yes? Ah."
Teigen loves interacting with her fans on Twitter, which is one of the reasons she revealed her PPD. "One of the most amazing things about social media is the ability to interact candidly with friends and fans and it felt so weird knowing what I was going through but not really feeling like it was the right place to speak on it," she shared on Instagram after the article came out. "I've always felt genuinely close to all of you and I'm insanely relieved you now know something that has been such a huge part of me for so long."
It has to feel like a huge weight has been lifted for Teigen. She doesn't have to live with this secret anymore. This is who she is and she's glad everyone now knows. However, that doesn't mean the model wants to be viewed as a helpless charity case.
Basically, don't start treating her any differently just because she has let the entire world know about something she's been struggling with since the birth of her daughter, Luna. Whether or not you understand what Teigen is going through or know someone who has suffered from PPD, I'm sure many people can relate in some way what it feels like to be treated differently. If someone doesn't have a similar experience as you or they don't completely understand what you've gone through, that can sometimes lead to them overcompensating or being extra cautious around you. That makes the situation so much worse, doesn't it?
As for Teigen's specific experience, it's already hard enough for women suffering from PPD to discuss it. She didn't take the time to write an entire essay about postpartum depression to be treated like she is "different," ill, or weak, but to be honest about an issue that should absolutely be talked about openly and without judgment. It's something more people should and need to be aware of.
By no means do I know what Teigen or anyone who suffers from postpartum depression has experienced, because I am not a mother. However, I can relate in the sense that after my brother died at the age of 16, there were many people who began treating myself, my sister, and my parents differently. It felt like we became outsiders, who needed constant consoling and reminding of what we had just endured. Not to mention, the way people tiptoed around us, it felt like people only saw us as individuals who were no longer "normal." That is the worst feeling in the world, especially when it feels like your heart is literally broken.
Again, the death of my brother and Teigen's PPD are two very different battles, but I think most will agree that when you're going through something difficult the last thing you want is for others to treat you differently or to start seeing you as someone they don't recognize, when you yourself are already feeling like a different person and may not recognize yourself in the mirror anymore.
I applaud and thank Teigen for turning an already real moment into an even more real one that so many people can learn from.
