My Story: Rising From Postpartum Depression

From Unraveled To Reborn: The Hidden Season That Is Healing Me

My mental health and self-worth journey didn’t begin with motherhood — they’ve always been something I’ve carried, struggled through, and worked on over the years. But my most transformative season didn’t happen during any of the milestones you’d expect.

It wasn’t when I graduated college, it wasn’t when I got married, it wasn’t even when I became a mom.

That shift didn’t come in the chaos of pregnancy or the excitement of a new chapter. It came after all of that — when the noise died down. When we weren’t moving houses or adjusting to a newborn or redefining my identity as a stay-at-home mom. It came when things were finally quiet.

And I realized I had nothing left to distract me… but myself.

When the quiet comes with a crash

I looked around at my life and saw a loving husband, two beautiful boys, a home I had prayed for — and yet I felt completely empty. I was a mom and a wife. But who was I?

After the chaos came the quiet.

And then came the depression.

It hit after I weaned my youngest son around 13 months. No one really checks on you at that stage — the baby isn’t new, so people assume you’re fine. But I wasn’t. I had weaned, my cycle returned, and I was no longer on birth control for the first time since I was a teenager. My hormones were in free fall, and I had absolutely no tools to manage it.

I’d been on the pill or some form of synthetic hormones for most of my adult life. After my first son, I had an IUD. But after my second, I just couldn’t do it again — the headaches, the mood swings, the acne, the weight gain… and the feeling of going completely off the rails emotionally. I wanted to let my body breathe. What I didn’t expect was that my body had no idea how to manage a natural cycle — because it had never really had one.

And suddenly, everything crashed.

What I thought was tiredness turned into full-blown fatigue.

Mental fog became mental shutdown.

Joy disappeared. Focus disappeared. Even brushing my teeth felt like a task too big.

“My hormones were in free fall, and I had absolutely no tools to manage it.”

Let’s Glow

I was surviving… but barely

I couldn’t get the dishes done. I couldn’t enjoy the things I used to love. I couldn’t keep up with my boys — no matter how much coffee I drank. My skin flared with deep, painful acne. I gained weight even though I wasn’t eating much. And the worst part? I felt like I had no energy to care.

It’s truly a miracle that I stayed sober during that time. I don’t say that lightly. If I hadn’t, I honestly don’t think I’d be here today. You can read more about my sobriety journey here.

My Self Esteem Hit Rock Bottom

As the depression deepened, so did my disconnection from everything around me — especially myself.

My self-esteem plummeted. I withdrew completely.

My relationship with my husband suffered in a way I didn’t fully realize until much later. I became a stranger to him — emotionally flat, physically absent, and so caught up in my own head that I didn’t even recognize how far we had drifted.

To cope, I turned to screen time. Not in a casual, unwind-at-the-end-of-the-day kind of way — but in an addicted, “I need to escape reality” kind of way.

I was clocking eight hours a day on social media… and still adding TV after the boys went to bed. And I wasn’t using my phone to create content or work on anything meaningful. I was just scrolling. Numbing. Tuning out.

And when the scrolling wasn’t enough, I turned to arguing in comment sections — because I just wanted to feel something.

Anger was easier to access than grief.

Debate was easier than vulnerability.

Online, I could be whoever I wanted. I could be the smartest one in the thread. The quick-witted one. The one with something to say.

Because in real life?

I was the fat, ugly, acne-covered woman who couldn’t keep up with her kids, her house, or herself.

At first, I used heavy filters to cover it all up. Then I just stopped posting altogether. I couldn’t fake it anymore.

The Online Friendship That Started Something New

But somehow, through all that time online, I met someone.

A woman who shared my values. Who didn’t argue with me. Who made me feel seen.

We clicked instantly. We started talking. She was kind, grounded, and honest — something I hadn’t realized I was so desperate for.

She wasn’t one of those online personalities trying to recruit me or sell me something. She was just… there.

A real connection in the midst of a fake world.

She was a content creator too. I was doing affiliate marketing. She was in network marketing — something I had always rolled my eyes at. But she never asked me to sign up. Never pushed a product. She just listened.

I remember messaging her one day and saying, “I really appreciate you not asking me to buy anything.” And I meant it. It was the first genuine connection I’d had in a long time.

As we talked, I began to open up.

I told her about my acne.

How it was affecting every part of my life — from my confidence to my willingness to even leave the house.

I told her I was using products I liked, but it wasn’t enough. I felt malnourished. I wasn’t eating right. I needed something simple, like a probiotic or a greens powder, just to get me through the day.

And she responded so gently:

“Let me help.”

When Healing Started (when I didn’t Expect It To)

She sent me a box of GutHealth for cheap (probably cheaper than she should have). And I honestly didn’t expect anything to happen.

I had tried everything to heal my skin. Supplements, skincare routines, natural remedies, expensive skincare lines, prescription creams — you name it. Every “miracle” product that was supposed to be the thing just left me more frustrated. I’d see a tiny bit of improvement for a week or two, only for the acne to come back worse than before. It was agonizing.

It was a roller coaster I desperately wanted to come off of.

So no — I didn’t expect much when I opened that box.

I took it because I had nothing left to try.

So to say I was blown away is an understatement.

• Within one week, my digestion improved. I wasn’t bloated all the time. My stomach didn’t hurt after meals.
• By week two, my mood lifted. I wasn’t dragging myself through the day, and my energy started to return.
• By week four, I noticed my skin was different — calmer, less angry, healing.
  

So I got another box.

And within eight weeks the painful hormonal acne completely disappeared (read more about my skin healing journey here).

The Spark That Changed My Path

I felt like a different person.

I felt like my head was above water. And it was then that I realized how badly I was drowning. How disconnected I was from my husband. How chaotic my routines and household had become.

But this time, I had the energy and motivation to do something about it.

As an affiliate marketer I decided to sign up as an independent consultant and share my links for this product. It felt good knowing I could share something that actually helped me so much… and not just something random I was getting paid to promote. I didn’t even tell my friend I signed up — it just felt like the right move.

She texted me and said, “Wait… is this you?!”

So I began to try more products.

And each time I did, I was again blown away.

A Life Changed — By Me, Not Products

The products didn’t change my life. But they gave me the ability to change it for myself.

I could finally bake and cook healthy meals again.

I could finally clean the house and create a healthy and calming living space.

I finally felt confident in my appearance.

I felt the confidence to nurture my relationships again.

I deleted the social media apps.

I moved my body. I went outside.

My periods and ovulation were no longer painful.

And as more time went on, the more improvement I saw.

The clearer, brighter skin. The weight loss.

The joy. The energy.

And the more I saw what was possible, the more I put into this business. I wanted more than just sharing links.

Not because someone pushed me.

Not because I wanted a quick paycheck. But because it was real.

“And the more I saw what was possible, the more I put into this business. I wanted more than just sharing links.”

Let’s Glow

Where I Am Now

Now? I’m healing. I’m learning discipline.

I’m actually enjoying life — even on the hard days.

I share products I truly use and love every day (it’s not just a catchy term). I earn some extra income that helps support my family.

And most importantly, I feel like myself again. Not the “old” me, but a completely new one.

One who is present, strong, and steady.

This season changed everything.

And it’s only the beginning.

This experience is my own. Please read my full disclaimer here.