Adele's best friend, and mother to her godson, just suffered from postpartum psychosis and Adele publicly showed her support.
On Monday, Adele posted on Instagram about her best friend's struggle with postpartum psychosis. The post has over 1.2 million likes.
In the post, she references her friend Laura Dockrill. Laura recently recovered from a severe bout of post-partum psychosis. During her recovery she realized that the condition is not only rare, but treatment of it is even more uncommon. She wanted to take the opportunity to share her experience.
In Laura's Instagram post she said,
"Social media gives a very shiny exterior of life to be frank and it's not the full picture, so I wanted to unlock some doors and be honest- I've been somewhere I can't unsee and- in case there is anybody out there struggling - to open up a dialogue and say it's ok. You are not broken..."
I used to hate this photograph of me and had it hidden away with all the other baby stuff I didn't want to look at but now I love it because it shows I survived. This week my baby turns 6 months old and I feel like it's an achievement in more ways than one. I don't usually do oversharing on social media (I've covered over my boobies here rather professionally as you can see for my dignity- not that I have much of that dignity stuff left anyway after the last 6 months and YES my nail varnish is chipped but if you had to change 15 nappies a day and have your arms elbow deep in washing up liquid your nails would be pretty chipped too and who gets a chance to paint their nails with a baby splodging around the place anyway?) but the more I've spoken about this experience AKA the WORST TIME OF MY ACTUAL LIFE the more I've realised the urgency of writing about it. More women and their partners have opened up with their own experiences that have just felt too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it. It's not easy to admit that the worst time of your life was when your baby was born. Social media gives a very shiny exterior of life to be frank and it's not the full picture, so I wanted to unlock some doors and be honest- I've been somewhere I can't unsee and- in case there is anybody out there struggling - to open up a dialogue and say it's ok. You are not broken... Alrighty... I'm gonna be brave...so here we go... I have teamed up with @clemmie_telford to share my story (link in bio) There are a few thank yous I have to do to those starting with my true love @hugowhitenoise, my one and only spirit sister @adele, my baby love E.T @daisymaydock, my amazing parents and their partners, my partners family, my brother @hdurkle @sioby11 @pennygabriel @victoriabuzzington @el_matthews_ @annekaharry @thesabrinagrant @ssoufian @robertemmsactor @wesleygoode and my publishers @jennyjacoby @tinamories Love you all so much. You saved my life.
A post shared by LauraLeeDockrill (@lauraleedockrill) on Aug 13, 2018 at 9:23am PDT
In the blog, Laura describes the condition.
"I didn't recognise myself and I felt like an intruder in my own life, like a fraud and a complete failure."
She also explains why it was important to her to share her experience.
"Talking about this has been a huge part of my recovery and I was constantly searching for any stories that offered me hope or salvation in this dark and testing time so that's why I've shared this and to raise awareness of this awful sickness and to confront the stigma attached to post natal depression and the pressure put on women to become mothers."
Finally, Laura tells mothers who are suffering from the same condition that they shouldn't blame themselves.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, it's a chemical imbalance, an avalanche of hormones and it is NOT your fault."
Laura's account resonated with fellow mothers on Twitter.
Doctors and family members of sufferers agreed that it is a rare, but very real, condition.
Others are touched by Adele's unwavering support of her friend.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources. You are not alone.
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