Postpartum depression is no longer a whispered phrase hidden behind pastel baby showers and filtered Instagram posts.
It’s real, raw and more common than most people think, and when someone like “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Lisa Rinna opens up about it, it reminds us why the conversation still matters.
In an honest and haunting episode of her podcast “Let’s Not Talk About the Husband,” Rinna revealed the dark spiral she fell into after giving birth to her first child.
Speaking to her actor husband Harry Hamlin, she said she had horrible postpartum depression.
“I had horrible postpartum depression, but I didn’t know it. I didn’t know what it was, because you know when you have your first baby, you don’t know.”
The conversation took a chilling turn when Hamlin recalled how she once threatened to kill him after a movie outing.
“You said, ‘You better watch out. I feel like killing you.’ You said, ‘Keep the knives in a drawer,’” Hamlin said.
Rinna responded, admitting she was having terrifying hallucinations – images of harming people, visions of crashing into brick walls.
“It was about hopelessness, darkest depression and these horrible visions, hallucinations.
It was the knives and it was driving the car into the brick wall,” she explained. Importantly, she clarified that her visions never involved hurting her baby.
Hamlin urged her to contact her obstetrician-gynaecologist, who then prescribed antidepressants. Rinna said it took about three weeks for the medication to kick in. The experience, while personal and frightening, is something many women can relate to, and not everyone has the support or awareness to identify what they’re going through.
According to the World Health Organization, more than one in ten women around the world experience postpartum depression, and some studies suggest the number is even higher in developing countries.
Hormonal changes after childbirth, particularly the dramatic drop in oestrogen and progesterone, affect brain chemistry.
Add to that the physical demands of recovery, extreme fatigue, and the emotional intensity of motherhood, and it’s no wonder some women fall into a dark mental space.
Hallucinations and intrusive thoughts, while less common, are associated with more severe forms of postpartum depression, such as postpartum psychosis, which requires urgent medical care.
Rinna is far from the only woman to open up about this. In South Africa, actress Jo da Silva has also spoken about struggling with depression after having a baby, calling for more honest conversations and better support.
Internationally, stars like Chrissy Teigen, Adele, Serena Williams and Brooke Shields have all shared their postpartum journeys.
Adele once revealed in an interview that she suffered from frightening depression after her son was born and didn’t speak to anyone about it.
Teigen wrote an entire essay on how she found herself crying in corners and feeling detached, despite the public perception that her life was perfect.
Pregnancy isn’t a nine-month Pinterest board followed by baby bliss. As the pressure and expectations on mothers continue to grow, so must our understanding and compassion.
The more we talk about it, the more we allow women the space to ask for help, to feel heard, and to begin healing.
In South Africa, organisations like SADAG (The South African Depression and Anxiety Group), which can be reached at 080 012 1314, offer support to those facing postpartum depression, and reaching out for help is the first step towards recovery.
Visit their website at: https:// www.sadag.org/ for more information as well as for SMS and call back options.
