Is Britney Spears Suffering From Postpartum Depression?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

03 Mar 2007 12:59 AM

Shortly after Britney Spears had what the media calls her "meltdown" (which began with a self-induced head shaving, the addition of a couple of tattoos, multiple trips in and out of rehab, and a tirade, which included the young mom attacking a photographer's vehicle with an umbrella... in the course of 36 hours), Hollywood insiders began to speculate that the pop princess may be suffering from more than just a substance dependency.

Shortly after Spears' head shaving incident "View" co-host Rosie O'Donnell hinted that the 25-year-old mother of two young sons may be suffering from postpartum psychosis. Of course, O'Donnell's no medical expert so the discussion of such a diagnosis ended there. Then, less than 24 hours after Brit's umbrella whacking stint and subsequent re-admission to rehab her father, Jamie Spears, told FOX News that his daughter is "a sick little girl. ... We're just trying to take care of her." Curiously, he also revealed that his daughter's problems were "not about what other people think" and that he and Spears' mom, Lynne, were "very concerned" about Britney.

Now, actress Brooke Shields is reaching out to the recovering singing sensation.

"I hope she's fine," Shields tells TV's Access Hollywood in an interview to air Monday. "I believe she's going to be fine, and she just needs the support and her kids. She's their only mom, and she'll earn that back in her own mind."

The entertainment TV show contacted Shields because she suffered postpartum depression after the birth of her first child, Rowan, who is now 3. While Shields would not speculate if Spears' recent behavior shows signs of postpartum depression she did offer to meet with the pop star.

"If she wants to talk to someone, I'm available," Shields told the TV reporter.

Personally, I don't think it's a bad idea. After all, besides both having two young children, Shields and Spears share another commonality--they both were child stars. In the TV interview Shields addresses the fact that both she and Spears have been public figures since they were children and admitted that the constant pressure of being in the media spotlight may have contributed to the singer's problems.

"[She is] followed every moment of her life, and she's documented every minute of her life," Shields said.

What do you think? Do you feel Brit's behavior is associated with postpartum depression, and if it is, does it change your opinion of her?

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Lisa P (24013) 03 Mar 2007 07:20 AM

I think poor little Brit was too young and immature to have one child, let alone two in rapid succession. That alone can make any young mother pretty crazy. The fact that she married a guy who was having a baby with another woman and they never really had time to get to know each other as husband and wife before the babies came could have only added to the difficulty of the situation.

There is a lot that she needs to do to get her life on track - the first thing is to get her own head on straight. I hope she manages to do that.

Michele Cheplic (37339) 03 Mar 2007 08:26 AM

I agree Lisa! I also added a new link to Beth's blog for more info on postpartum depression.

Libby Pelham (12876) 03 Mar 2007 09:24 AM

I thought about that, but she was acting a little crazy before she even married Kevin (remember her 55 hour marriage?), so I just don't know. Whatever is causing it, it is almost bordering on the point of being uncomfortable to watch :-(

Michele Cheplic (37339) 04 Mar 2007 05:27 AM

It'll be interesting to see how she acts post-rehab b/c if she thought the media coverage was intense prior to checking in---it's going to be even more intense when she gets out. But, you're right Libby--her decisions were questionable even before the head shaving incident!!