Millie Mackintosh has opened up about her mental health since becoming a mother.
The former Made In Chelsea star is a parent to two daughters - five-year-old Sienna and three-year-old Aurelia - with her husband, Hugo Taylor.
Now, Millie has taken the opportunity to shine a spotlight on her struggles with her mental health.
In honour of Mental Health Awareness Month and Maternal Mental Health Week, the 35-year-old took to Instagram to share throwback snaps from her early days of motherhood.
“For me, although I wasn’t formally diagnosed with postnatal depression, in hindsight I think I was definitely experiencing it. To add to the intensity, my first experience of motherhood happened during lockdown, which made everything feel even more isolating,” Millie began.
“When I became pregnant 8 months after Sienna was born, things changed again — this time it was anxiety and panic attacks. I was functioning on the outside, but inside it felt completely out of control and unsafe in my body. Eventually, I made the decision to go on medication,” she explained.
“I’d put it off for so long because of the stigma I felt around it, but I reached a breaking point and realised I needed to accept help. I wish I had done it sooner. Taking that step allowed me to feel more like myself and start managing things in a healthier way,” she continued.
“That was over a year ago, now that my girls are 3 and 5, I’m in a very different place. With the help of regular therapy, daily movement etc I’ve slowly started to reduce my meds with a plan to come off them slowly. I’m grateful I got the help I needed when I did, and I really hope more of us can feel empowered to say, ‘I need extra support right now,’ without guilt or shame,” Millie penned.
The reality star concluded her caption by reminding her followers that “it’s okay to not be okay”.
Many of Millie’s followers have since expressed their pride, with one commenting: “This is such an important message.”
“Thank you for being vocal and raising awareness,” another agreed.
