NAKARANAS din ang hindi na aktibong aktres na si Michelle Madrigal ng matinding postpartum depression matapos ipanganak ang panganay niyang baby.
Anim na buwan itong tumagal at hanggang ngayon ay sariwa pa sa kanyang isip ang lahat ng pinagdaanan niya habang nakikipaglaban sa depresyon dulot ng panganganak.
Nag-share ang dating sexy actress at Star Circle Quest finalist, na ngayon ay online fitness coach na, ng kanyang experience bilang asawa at ina sa ginawa nilang vlog ng kaibigan niyang aktres din na si Carla Humphries.
Pareho silang naka-base na ngayon sa Amerika kaya naisipan nilang gumawa ng isang video para makatulong sa mga taong dumaranas din ng anxiety at depression lalo pa’t patuloy pa rin ang banta ng pandemya.
Kung matatandaan, iniwan ni Michelle ang buhay at career niya sa Pilipinas limang taon na ang nakararaan at nagtungo sa US para tuparin ang kanyang culinary dreams.
Doon nga niya nakilala ang asawa niya ngayon na si Troy Woolfolk hanggang sa biyayaan nga sila ng anak na babae, si Anika.
Unang naikuwento ni Michelle ang naging struggle niya pagkatapos niyang isilang ang anak, “Even before the pandemic, it was already rough for me for the whole year or two.
“First, having a child on its own without any family members, mahirap. I didn’t know how to figure it out. I didn’t invite anybody (mula sa kanyang family). It was just me when I gave birth. There was me and Troy and his parents, but his parents lived three hours away from us,” pahayag pa ng aktres.
Pag-amin pa ni Michelle, “Iyon iyong mahirap na parang wala pala akong support here. And then the transition to stay-at-home mom, finding myself… I had postpartum depression. Six months.”
Aniya, wala siyang idea kung ano ba talaga ang nangyayari sa kanya that time at hindi pa raw masyadong pinag-uusapan sa social media ang tungkol sa postpartum depression.
“Even after giving birth, moms talk about the beauty. ‘Oh my gosh, breastfeeding this and that.’ But in reality, people should really talk about what goes on.
“What happens after giving birth? What you really feel? Now, siguro, mas open na mga tao because more women are actually sharing their stories.
“But yeah, for me talaga, sometimes magbe-breastfeed ako and you think, ‘Oh, you’re giving her all the nutrients. You’re taking care of that baby.’ Then all of the sudden, umiiyak ako. I don’t know why.
“Breastfeeding and then nakatulala lang ako and then, you know, breakdown. What’s going on?” lahad pa ng dating sexy actress.
Pagpapatuloy pa niya, “There are days na I’ll tell Troy, ‘Just feed the baby. I don’t want to get out of bed.’
“And then there’ll be days na sobrang high na I’m really, really happy… and then at night time, parang I don’t want to talk to anybody. Paiba-iba talaga iyong moods.
“You’re there, you see your child, and you’re happy. But, at the same time, parang hindi mo alam iyong feeling deep down?” chika pa niya kay Carla.
Hanggang sa kumonsulta na nga siya sa doktor at nalamang maraming factors pala ang pinanggagalingan ng kanyang depression hindi lang ang panganganak.
“For me, it was harder because of the transition itself. Not just giving birth, but like moving away from my comfort zone. I was able to make it. Kinaya ko naman siya,” sabi pa niya.
Ayon pa kay Michelle, “Sa atin kasi, Filipino culture, parang when someone says they’re depressed or whatever, they don’t acknowledge that. And honestly, you have to.
“Kasi sa atin parang, ‘Oh, malungkot ka lang. Okay lang iyon. Tomorrow you’ll be fine.’ Or, ‘Umiyak ka lang. Huwag ka masyado mag-isip. Masyado ka nag-iisip, e,'” dugtong pa niyang paliwanag.
Sinang-ayunan naman ito ni Carla, “And when you’re suppressed, that’s when you end up doing toxic things or you poison yourself kasi hindi mo ma-release iyong emotions mo.”
Singit ni Michelle, “Or you feel like you can’t talk to anybody. Like, ‘Oh, my mom or my dad or my sister, they don’t even listen to me. They think wala lang ito. It’s just in my head.'”
At para nga kay Michelle, “Depression is real. For people, they neglect it and they don’t accept it because, for them, parang embarrassment iyon when you are actually feeling those emotions.
“So, when someone tells you, you have to get to know them. You have to hear their stories because sometimes kung iyong anak mo, they come to you, it means they’re asking for help.
“You have to acknowledge, you have to help them out because if not, they will rely on other things,” paalala pa ng aktres sa lahat ng mga taong nakaka-relate sa mga pinagdaanan niya.