Britney’s Post-Partum Struggle
TMZ has learned Britney Spears’ troubles may have little to do with substance abuse. Sources say doctors at her rehab facility think the underlying reason for her trouble may be post-partum depression.
Sources tell TMZ that Britney’s doctors have two operating theories — either that she suffers from post-partum depression or bipolar disorder. The doctors strongly believe post-partum is the problem.
As for substance abuse, as one source says, “No doubt about it - she likes to drink.” But doctors believe the drinking is a way Spears has coped with a bigger problem.
We’re told Britney, who is sticking it out at the Promises rehab facility in Malibu, is currently reading Brooke Shields’ book, “Down Came the Rain,” in which Shields reveals her battle with post-partum depression.
We’re told doctors believe Spears’ problem is complicated by an intense feeling on her part that she has lost control of her life.
February 27th, 2007 at 9:59 am
boo hoo. i had ppd depression and instead of going out every night to party i went and got help. alot of women have ppd and they don’t sit around and feel sorry for themselves. she may have ppd but that doesn’t excuse the fact that she needs to grow up and take responsibility for her life and her family. hopefully she will wake up during her time in rehab.
February 27th, 2007 at 10:20 am
PISSER - I agree. but if you had ppd - you know that the intense hormonal changes kind of come at you - it took me a while to even recognize I wasn’t going crazy - but that it was my hormones!!! But yes, ppd is a poor excuse for flashing your coochie at everyone.
And to responsd to her losing control of her life - I highly doubt she ever had control over it to begin with. She’s been a actress/singer since she was a kid - everything’s been done for her, and then bam! Two babies!! It’s gotta suck to be her! Honestly. $$ is no replacement for happiness, integrity, and personal power. She’s got to get out of the limelight and learn how to be a normal person! MHO
February 27th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Damn everyone just needs to leave her be and stop making all these assumptions about her, so she can get better in rehab…
February 27th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Down Came the Rain was a good book. Not the best “writing” ever but a great discussion of the topic.
February 27th, 2007 at 11:02 am
I don’t believe it, if you have PPD which I’ve never experienced, so I don’t really know that much about it. This is just my opinion, it would seem like she would do the opposite, and be depressed and in the house, not out partying, and being sleezy out and about, smiling, and just wanting the media attention. I think this is just a way for her to get back the publics compassion for her. I don’t buy it. I do think she needs help though, I hope she can turn her life around, just be truthful about what was going on. I swear, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been diagnosed with bipolar after going to rehab. I hope this place doesn’t pump her up with more meds, that just mask her her symptoms/problems. If she does truly have PPD, I hope she does get better, and get the treatment she needs, so that she can be the a good mom to her boys. Maybe she really didn’t want a divorce, but read all the media about what a loser KFed was, and made her decision on that, thinking that would make her happy. Who really knows, she really needs to do some soul searching, and find herself, and try to be happy. The best thing for her is to move out of L.A. Good Luck to her!
February 27th, 2007 at 11:04 am
It aggravates me no end that instead of taking responsibility for herself, her rash actions and the fact that she’s made a LOT of really bad decisions in the last 4 or more years that she’s allowed to shift the “blame” to a disorder (that she could have only conceivably developed in the last 15 months) with which a lot of women truly struggle. Must be nice to not have a conscience about such things.
February 27th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Pay attention Maria, it isn’t britney saying this is all because of Ppd, it is others saying it. I don’t think Britney is blaming anything, she is just doing it. And as for Renae, why don’t you learn a little about PPD before you form an opinion on how Britney should be acting. I am not saying what she has done is right, it isn’t and yes she should have gotten help before it got so far but PPD comes in many forms and one is wanting to get out away from your children and just be young again and ignore your responsibilities.
February 27th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
BRAVO HEATHER! Thanks for writing …I thought the exact same thing!
February 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I think we all need to stop feeling sorry for her. She knows what she was doing and was doing it before K-Fed and after. That is just her. I seriously doubt that the PPD thing is true cause the doctors could be sued for leaking her personal medical information. I think she has enough $$ to stop that. She is trash and K-Fed is not so leave it alone.
February 27th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I want to know who these “source[s]” are. I mean, who is going around leaking all of this confidential patient information? I don’t actually believe that this is based on fact at all. PPD, drug addiction, bisexuality, E fetish…whatever, I think its all just conjecture.
February 27th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I’m no expert on PPD. I personally don’t buy the whole disorder thing, I think it’s just a way to get her image “clean” again by her PR people or fans. I did say, if this was the cause of her behavior I hope she gets the help she needs. Now, if she does have PPD do the symptoms include, flashing her “vagina” for the world to see. Getting in contact with Paris Hilton and hanging out with her for a couple of weeks, so you get photographed every chance you get. I did see all the Brooke Shields interviews, and really felt for her and everything she went through. She just seemed like the opposite, not wanting to be in the media eye, depressed, and isolated, so that’s why I made my judgement. I know that there are people that suffer from this, I’m just saying, I hope when it’s all said and done, and the interviews start, that she is honest, and not blaming her behavior on something so everyone can fell sorry for her and forget about all the bad decisions she had. Her behavior could be from a lot of different things, including alcholism, drug abuse, ppd, etc. They all make you lose control of your life. I just think it wouldn’t be fair to the people that truly had this ppd if this is just a way for her to get on the publics good side. Anyway, I doubt this rumor is true, come on, what facilitily gives out their patients medical information? Isn’t that against the law? I’m not putting Britney down, no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, she will get so much more respect if she’s honest, and if no disorder was the cause, she can say, I screwed up.
February 27th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Right. Because Britney Spears owes ALL of us an explanation for her behavior, right? So we can have more ammunition to hit her with.
February 27th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
i don’t think it is outrageous to assume she has ppd. a high percentage of women do experience some form of ppd. in her case she has 2 kids under 2, she is getting divorced, her career…well what can i say about that? she is no longer the center of attention. maybe just maybe she has realized that having a family and small children requires alot of hard work and is not always the picture perfect image we have in our minds…who wouldn’t be depressed? sorry guys like i said it is very likely she has ppd but for some reason everytime something new comes out about her i just think she is a poor immature idealistic young girl who has never really been exposed to a life that is very real for most people.
yes i know this is a poorly written post…i’m in a hurry
March 5th, 2007 at 8:46 am
I feel for Britney, especially if she has bipolar disorder, and she does have the signs of the disorder. — total lack of impulse control, overnight wedding and annulment, fine arts background, euphoria, co-morbid alcohol problem, overspending, lack of judgment,
hyper-sexuality, all getting worse during times of hormornal fluctuation. (all that’s missing is rapid speech, racing thoughts and inability to sleep) And PPD, in particular post-partum psychosis, is far more prevalent in a person with bipolar disorder than in the general population. Before poo-pooing the PPD, learn a little about bipolar disorder. It is real. It usually goes undiagnosed for many years (8 on average) and it can be manageable with proper diet, sleep, exercise, medicine, stress control and lots or support. For some, however, its a lifelong curse for them and their families.
If you want an example of another star who showed most of the signs of mania, see Mariah Carey. She’s come out of her illness, whatever it was, with flying colors. I wish the same for Britney.