Real Talk 8th January 2020 by Valerie Loftus

Rosie Connolly Has Opened Up About Dealing With Post-Natal Depression

"It was just bigger than me. I needed that extra bit of help."

Rosie Connolly has opened up about being diagnosed with post-natal depression after the birth of her daughter Remi last year.

The influencer said that her mental health “took a dip” after having her son Harry in 2014, and she was conscious of it happening again after giving birth to Remi in February 2019.

“Six months after I had her, I started to see the signs of it all coming back. I was going through a bit of a crappy time,” she told her followers, admitting that she hadn’t felt “ready” to share her experience until now. “The only thing that got me out of bed in the morning a lot of the time was focusing on work.

Everyday stuff was a struggle. I was having panic attacks again, that’s how I knew it was really kicking off. [I] really didn’t want to be social or be out anywhere – a shopping centre would give me absolute fear, which is usually my favourite place in the world! I just couldn’t face people.

Rosie described reaching a “breaking point” during a visit to her GP for Remi, and says she’s “a hundred times better” after going back on anti-anxiety medication, which she has taken on and off over the years.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7CMh2iJbZL/

“I was a bit disappointed that I had to go back on them. I was like, ‘I should be stronger now, I’ve done this before, I should know how to get out of it’ but I just couldn’t,” Rosie said.

I did all the things that pull me out of a bad place but it was just bigger than me. I needed that extra bit of help. I let go of the stigma and beating myself up over it, went back on my tablets, and I feel so much better. It’s what I needed and what I need right now.

“I said that when I was able to talk about it I would. If it helps one person get over the whole ‘Oh I’m able to handle it, I shouldn’t have to ask for help’… Just ask for help, honestly.”

Her followers and fellow influencers have praised her for being so candid about her struggles with mental health, with many saying it was something they “really needed to hear”. Well done, Rosie.

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