Gwyneth Paltrow on her post-natal depression: 'I felt like a zombie'

Gwyneth Paltrow. Picture: Instagram.

Gwyneth Paltrow. Picture: Instagram.

Published Sep 28, 2018

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Gwyneth Paltrow "broke out" of post-natal depression without using medication.

The 46-year-old actress felt down following the birth of her son Moses, 12 - who she shares with Chris Martin - and despite being offered antidepressants by her doctor, she found exercising and quitting alcohol helped her to feel better again.

Gwyneth - who also has 14-year-old daughter Apple with Chris - said: "I had postnatal depression, as you know, after my son. A doctor tried to put me on antidepressants and I thought, if I need them, then yes, I'll come back to it.

"I thought, well, what if I went to therapy and I started exercising again, and I stopped drinking alcohol and I just gave myself a period of regeneration and I slept more? I really broke out of it."

The Avengers: Infinity War star clarified that antidepressants can be "lifesavers" for others, but she wanted to seek alternative therapies.

Speaking on her latest Goop podcast, she added: "They are lifesavers for certain people for sure."

Gwyneth recently admitted she found it "really shocking" that she suffered from post-natal depression after Moses was born.

She said: "I think [it] was really shocking to me because I never thought that I would be a person who got post-natal depression.

"I was so euphoric when Apple was born, and I assumed it would happen with Mosey and it just ... it took a while. I really went into a dark place."

The Mortdecai star - who is engaged to Brad Falchuk - previously said she felt like a "zombie" after Moses was born, which made her worry she was a "terrible" mother.

She explained: "I felt like a zombie. I couldn't access my heart. I couldn't access my emotions. I couldn't connect.

"It was terrible, it was the exact opposite of what had happened when Apple was born. With her, I was on cloud nine. I couldn't believe it wasn't the same. I just thought it meant I was a terrible mother and a terrible person."

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