Post-partum struggles seem generally overlooked in modern culture, especially in Hollywood. A new mom is expected to “bounce back” immediately without regard for the physical or emotional demands of what their body just endured. Certainly mental health struggles deserve a place in the discussion as well.
Vanderpump Rules mom Scheana Shay endured tremendously difficult post-partum struggles. She was recently diagnosed with post-partum OCD. She also suffered a terrifying ordeal shortly before giving birth. And now the mother of one is advocating and spreading awareness for post-partum health.
According to Page Six, Scheana was diagnosed with the illness after she decided to talk to her therapist about having intrusive thoughts. The National Institutes of Health states that Post-partum OCD features “major mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and psychosis with infanticidal thoughts.”
Scheana spoke with Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea podcast about her progress. “I feel like the amount of work I’ve been doing in therapy with learning I have postpartum OCD, I feel so much more confident as a mom.”
The Pump Rules star explained that the symptoms of the disorder often get mistaken for depression. “It’s something that I’ve been talking about a lot on my [Scheananigans] podcast lately,” she said. “I feel like a lot of women will get misdiagnosed with postpartum depression when it’s postpartum OCD.”
Her daughter, Summer Moon Honey Davies with husband Brock Davies, was born April 26, 2021. Scheana began having disturbing thoughts involving baby Summer. She explained, “I was just like, ‘Why am I seeing these things in my head? I don’t want to harm anyone I love. I don’t want these things to happen, but I just kept seeing them. And one day I just decided to tell my therapist,” Scheana added.
She continued, “When it started being about my baby … even when we’re just on our balcony, I know I’m not going to toss her off my balcony but in my head, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, what if she just jumped out of my arms right now and fell off the balcony?’”
RELATED: Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Episode 2 Recap: We’re Not in 2012 Anymore
Scheana added, “And those thoughts were just so disturbing and once I talked to my therapist about it, she was like, ‘It really sounds like you have postpartum OCD.’”
Treatment plans include response prevention therapy, which is exposure to feared situations, and stopping obsessive rituals. These issues are often connected with child-care tasks.
“That’s the thing with OCD is that it attaches to your biggest fears and then you just see them happening all of the time and it’s terrifying,” Scheana explained. “But I just have to tell myself, ‘This isn’t going to happen, it’s not going to happen, you got this.’”
The VPR star wants new moms to “advocate for [themselves].” Scheana added, “Reach out for help just because there’s so many resources that I just feel so much better in the few short months that I’ve been getting help myself.”
Thankfully, due to intense therapy, Scheana is able to accomplish tasks with Summer that were impossible before. She described being “proud” of herself for being able to drive a car alone with her daughter inside.
“I couldn’t drive by myself with her up until, like, a few months ago,” Scheana explained. “It’s really terrifying being a mom because I don’t want to mess up, I don’t want anything to happen to her when I’m by myself. But even though I’m crying right now, I do feel like in the last few months I’m just so proud of myself because I’ve done so much on my own,” she added.
“Several times a week, I either will take her to my mom’s house, I’ll take her to a music class by myself, I took her over to Brittany [Cartwright]’s this weekend by myself,” Scheana said.
She concluded, “I’m just trying to do more things by myself and that’s made me feel so good. When I get there, I’m like, ‘Yes, I did that on my own.’”
TELL US- HAVE YOU, OR ANYONE YOU KNOW, DEALT WITH POSTPARTUM OCD? HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE DISORDER BEFORE? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SCHEANA?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Frank Micelotta]
