Singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette has described her experience with postpartum depression as worsening after each of her three pregnancies, culminating in what she characterized as psychotic-like symptoms during her most recent experience. Morissette shared these details in an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper, on August 9.
Morissette, who has three children—Ever Imre (15), Onyx Solace (10), and Winter Mercy (7)—with her husband, Mario "Souleye" Treadway, stated that her symptoms included invasive thoughts, anxiety, depression, rage, and a sense of losing control. She described the experience as feeling like she had "become another person," with hormones contributing to her distress. "All I could picture was death and terrible things," she said.
Severity increased with each pregnancy, Morissette noted. After her first child, she did not disclose her struggles for 14 months. After her second, she waited eight months, and after her third, she spoke up within three days. "I was just like, 'Oh no, I'm not doing this again,'" she explained. She first publicly addressed her condition in 2017, during her second postpartum period, to encourage other women to seek help.
Morissette emphasized the importance of community support, including receiving "casseroles" from friends, as part of her coping strategy. She also highlighted the lack of awareness among therapists she consulted early in her experiences. "I reached out to multiple therapists, who didn’t seem to know how to treat the issue," she said.
Postpartum depression affects approximately one in eight mothers in the U.S., according to the CDC. Common symptoms include persistent sadness, anger, detachment from the baby, and self-doubt about caregiving abilities. Treatment options include counseling, medication, and support groups such as those offered by Postpartum Support International (PSI).
Morissette’s disclosure has drawn attention to the growing public conversation around postpartum mental health, particularly in light of recent high-profile cases that have intensified scrutiny of societal support systems for new mothers.