Former Filipina actress turned lifestyle vlogger Michelle Madrigal-Woolfolk recently admitted that she had postpartum depression when she gave birth to her daughter, Anika, 3 years ago.
In a Me Time with Mitch episode on her YouTube channel, Michelle recalls and talks about her mental health, including the traumas she has experienced, how she coped, and what depression was like for her.
Michelle started her vlog by admitting that she didn’t have it easy even as a celebrity in the Philippines. She says that when she joined Star Circle Quest two years after she was discovered at 13 years old: “At the time, kinailangan kong tumanda or mag-mature right away because of my experiences when I was younger…I think nadala ko iyung emotions and the trauma and iyung anxiety hanggang sa teenager ako…I couldn’t talk to anybody.”
She further shares that she “was partying almost every single night, as in self-destructive talaga. Why? To numb the pain because I wasn’t able to express that growing up…I was having trouble with my parents. My mom, specifically.” She then admitted that she left their home at 16 and has been providing for herself since then.
Michelle then went on to say that she experienced depression several times: first was when her first relationship ended and she didn’t get out of bed for a week. The second was when she became a mom, saying that “I could be watching TV, a funny show, with Anika, while breastfeeding and then bigla akong iiyak. And then I had all those negative thoughts. You know, what am I going to do with my life?” She further relates that being away from her family while she dealt with motherhood was extra difficult. She experienced another blow when a few months later she learned that her dad passed away, just when she was also looking forward to going home. She says, “That was one of the worst things because I was still recovering from postpartum depression and then I was going through another depression…How do you pull yourself from that, right?”
But something good came out of such dark times for Michelle and she’s willing to share it with anyone willing to listen. As a lifestyle and mommy influencer and fitness coach, Michelle emphasizes the importance of self-evaluation and manifesting your goals to reach them. She has also been very vocal about how fitness has helped her deal with self-destructive habits. At the same time, she also says that it is important to have these hard conversations with your friends or loved ones, “If a friend comes to you, really dig deeper and talk to them because you’ll never know what they’re going through.”
Watch Michelle’s mental health journey below:
Michelle Madrigal currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband, Troy, and 3-year-old daughter, Anika. She started her YouTube journey 3 years ago when she shared recipes and a peek of her new life in the United States. These days, her channel is filled with content on her life’s passions: family, career, and health and fitness. She’s also sharing more personal content as she hopes to entertain, inspire, and empower women worldwide.
She has recently received a YouTube Silver Play Button for surpassing the 100k subscribers mark. Some of the videos that resonated well with her audience include her first job in the US, a tour of their home, and her explant journey. In a recent Instagram post, Michelle is asking for everyone’s support as she joins the Ms. Health and Fitness competition – an online fitness competition with a grand prize of USD 20,000 and a cover on Muscle and Fitness HERS magazine. She says that if she does win, she will be honored to represent the Filipino community and that she’ll use the prize money to host an event to raise awareness for sexually abused girls, for her daughter, and to enhance her skills. Voting for the competition starts on June 14, PST. Click here to show your support.
Gushcloud Philippines is a technology-driven digital talent and media company, focused on influencer marketing, entertainment, and commerce under Gushcloud International. Gushcloud PH is proud to have Michelle Madrigal and its many talents be part of its growing and impactful content creators making waves in the digital universe.
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