Alanis Morissette’s postpartum depression got worse with every baby. Here’s what she learned about getting through it.
A celebrity account can help normalize postpartum depression, but the most useful takeaway here is not the individual story itself — it is the pattern it highlights. Distressing thoughts, emotional disconnection, fear, and a sense of being unlike oneself are not simply signs of being overwhelmed by new parenthood; they can be part of a treatable mental health condition. That distinction matters because many parents delay speaking up when they assume what they are experiencing is something they should be able to push through alone.
The article points to community support as a meaningful coping tool, and that fits with a broader practical reality: reducing isolation can ease shame and make it easier to seek formal help. But support from friends, family, or other mothers is not the same as treatment. When symptoms are persistent, severe, or frightening, peer connection should be viewed as a bridge to professional care rather than a substitute for it.
It is also worth noting that “postpartum depression” can be discussed too broadly in everyday conversation. Low mood, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and more acute psychiatric symptoms do not all carry the same level of risk. Readers should be careful not to self-dismiss severe symptoms as a routine part of the postpartum period. If a parent feels unsafe, unable to function, or overwhelmed by disturbing thoughts, urgent clinical support is warranted.
Perhaps the most actionable lesson is timing: earlier disclosure may not prevent postpartum depression, but it can shorten the period of suffering in silence. For many families, a practical step is agreeing before or soon after birth on who to tell, what warning signs to watch for, and how professional help would be accessed if needed.
Alanis Morissette shares three children— Ever, 14, Onyx, 10, and Winter, 7 — with her husband, Mario "Souleye" Treadway.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
- Alanis Morissette said she experienced severe postpartum depression after all three of her pregnancies.
- The singer said that she felt terrified by "invasive thoughts" and "out of control."
- She said that connecting with other women and sharing her feelings helped her cope.
Alanis Morissette experienced "really, really hard" postpartum depression after all three of her pregnancies, which left her feeling "out of control," she told the Call Her Daddy podcast on August 9.
"Basically, I became another person. All the hormones are all over the place," Morissette said. "All I could picture was death and terrible things," she added.
The singer shares three children — Ever, 14, Onyx, 10, and Winter, 7 — with her husband, Mario "Souleye" Treadway. The pair have been married since 2010.
With each pregnancy, she said her postpartum depression became "increasingly worse," but she learned how to better cope with it over time. "Get community all around. And casseroles!" Morissette said.
After her first pregnancy, Morissette didn’t share how she was feeling with anyone for a year and two months, she told the podcast. The second time, it took her eight months to speak out, and the third time, she waited only three days. "I was just like, ‘Oh no, I’m not doing this again,’" she said.
She first spoke publicly about her postpartum depression in 2017, when she was going through it for the second time, because she wanted to encourage other women to seek help. In the Call Her Daddy podcast episode, she explained that after that, her phone started "blowing up" with messages from people who had gone through similar experiences.
She described the response from other women as "amazing" because it helped her feel more normal. "I started to realize I was so not alone," Morissette said.
Postpartum depression is common, affecting around one in eight mothers, according to the CDC. Common symptoms include crying more often than usual, feeling angry, feeling distant from your baby, or doubting your ability to care for the baby.
Treatments, such as counseling and medication, can help reduce symptoms or make them go away completely. In addition to treatment, connecting with other mothers through support groups such as the Postpartum Support International (PSI) can help them feel less alone.
"This invisible load thing, it’s not going to be invisible anymore. We’re making it visible," Morissette said of the emotional burden placed on mothers.
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