‘OutDaughtered’: Adam Busby Issues Statement On Postpartum Depression To ‘End The Stigma’
Warning: This article contains OutDaughtered Season 3 spoilers.
In this week’s new episode of OutDaughtered, series star Adam Busby will reveal that he has been suffering from postpartum depression since the birth of his quintuplet daughters–the first all-girl quints ever born in the United States.
According to a People preview of the episode, Adam’s wife Danielle Busby asks him why he is acting “strange — not happy, excited or relieved” after a doctor’s appointment in which they received good news about their daughter Hazel, who has been experiencing eye problems since her birth.
Adam insists that he is “definitely relieved” about Hazel, but Danielle senses that something is up with her husband.
“I want you to know that whatever you’re going through, I’m here to listen or talk,” she assures him.
Later, Danielle sits down in front of OutDaughtered cameras to share more.
“I get Adam doesn’t want to talk about these issues in front of the kids, but I know he’s going through something,” she explains. “I’m going to give him some space, but I am concerned, so I’m just going to keep my eye on him.”
Later in the episode, Adam admits that he has been dealing with postpartum depression.
Last week on Twitter, Adam addressed his depression in an exchange with an OutDaughtered fan who noted that Adam’s behavior on the new season of the show “makes me wonder if men can suffer from postpartum depression.”
@AdamBuzz makes me wonder if men can suffer from post partum depression. #OutDAUGHTERED
— Roger Pittman (@RogerPittman) July 19, 2017
Read the statistics… 1 in 10 men struggle with it. No-one wants to talk about it though… #OutDAUGHTERED https://t.co/KGqPvTenEe
— Adam Busby (@AdamBuzz) July 19, 2017
Adam responded that “1 in 10 men struggle with it,” but that people are reluctant to discuss it.
Meanwhile, Danielle simply responded with a tweet saying, “Stay tuned,” clearly knowing that this week’s new OutDaughtered will reveal that Adam is suffering from the condition.
Ahead of tonight’s TLC broadcast, Adam Busby issued a statement about his battle with postpartum depression.
“We knew that signing up to have our family documented for OutDaughtered that every aspect of our lives was going to be showcased on television,” he said. “Because of this, we wanted to make sure that we were as real as possible.”
Adam explained that being “real” meant that he and Danielle had a responsibility to show “the hard times, the stressful times and the messy times,” and not just the good times that come with being parents. By doing that, the couple said they have helped other parents going through infertility, having hospitalized children and raising toddlers.
Now, Adam said, it’s time to help any OutDaughtered viewers who are dealing with postpartum depression.
“After coming face to face with postpartum depression following the birth of our five daughters, I quickly learned that this is a very real struggle that dads all around the world go through, yet you rarely ever hear it talked about. I’d be doing an extreme disservice to our fans if I hid this from the public and wasn’t honest with them.
“I have a big responsibility with the platform that I have been given,” he continued. “I want to make sure that I bring awareness to the realities of postpartum depression and other mental health issues. Why? Because I know I’m not alone and I want others to know they aren’t either. I want men to feel comfortable opening up about their feelings and expressing the struggles they’re going through. I want to help end the stigma surrounding mental health. The worst thing that you can do is stay silent and try fix things on your own. So, I’m going to make sure I do the exact opposite of that.”
What do you think of OutDaughtered star Adam Busby making his battle with postpartum depression public? Have you or your partner ever dealt with postpartum depression? Tell us in the comments below.
OutDaugtered airs Tuesdays at 9.m. on TLC.
[Featured Image by TLC]
