Did not need medication for postpartum depression

After giving birth to her son Moses in 2006, Gwyneth Paltrow says she went "in a dark place".

But after the doctor suggested the actress try anti-depressants, Paltrow said this week on her Goop podcast that she preferred to try other treatments and lifestyle changes, go to therapy, do more exercises and do not consume alcohol.

In explaining his decision not to take medication, Paltrow tried not to denigrate antidepressants, calling them "lifeguards for some people, for sure".

"I had a postnatal depression, as you know, after my son," said the Oscar-winning actress on the podcast. "A doctor tried to prescribe antidepressants and thought," If I need it, then yes, I'll come back. "

But at the same time, during the podcast conversation with Goop content manager Elise Loehnen, Paltrow felt that her choice was not easy.

To pursue the nonpharmaceutical option, Ms. Paltrow said that she had to "work hard", which she might not have been asked if she was just taking "a pill," as she did. suggested Loehnen.

Yet Paltrow has made sure to recognize the potential benefits of a widely prescribed drug to treat a serious mental illness. She might have anticipated new criticisms. Over the past year, Paltrow and its Goop website have come under increasing scrutiny – and have recently started legal action against the California authorities – to promote therapies and products. alternatives without expertise and scientific evidence.

Earlier this month, 10 counties in California announced that they had started legal action with Goop on her vaginal egg line at $ 66. Goop claimed that egg-shaped jade stones, inserted vaginally for varying lengths of time, could balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent uterine prolapse, and increase bladder control.

The 10 counties involved in the prosecution are part of the state working group on drugs and medical devices.

"We will vigilantly protect consumers against companies that promise health benefits without the support of science … or any science," said Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara County Attorney.

Nancy O'Malley, District Attorney for Alameda, praised the work of the task force and added that "misrepresentation that guarantees consumers specific health effects can put the public at risk."

In July, the New York Times Magazine published a damning profile of Paltrow, which revealed how she appreciated the controversy raised by health professionals who criticized the claims and health products of his company. The Times' profile said Paltrow learned to "manage the vitriol of the Internet" and turn it into a better brand and, of course, money and power.

"I can monetize these eyeballs," said Dr. Paltrow at a conference at Harvard Business School.

In her podcast, as Paltrow celebrates Goop's 10th birthday, the actress briefly discussed the criticisms she and her company have to make. She said that she never felt "comfortable" with the critics, but that she felt good because she thought Goop was "very clear" about her mission and "what we do and why we do it. "

The mission is to challenge the "status quo" and "challenge long-held beliefs," Paltrow said. In previous interviews, she said that Goop never considered a dispensation council. Instead, the company seeks to encourage a "conversation" about health, well-being, and curiosity about products and practices outside of Western traditional medicine.

In her case of postpartum depression, Paltrow said in her podcast that she wanted to question the belief that her only chance of relieving would be to take a pill.

"I'm so happy that this proven thing is there in case I need it," Paltrow said. "But I believe in the power of the human body to heal itself"

She added that she did not expect to suffer from postpartum depression, noting that she was "euphoric" after the birth of her first child, her daughter Apple, in 2004.

"I assumed it would happen with Mosey and that it was right – it took a long time," Paltrow said in his podcast. "I really went to a dark place."

Ms. Paltrow said that her ex-husband, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, had noticed the darkness of his mood and suggested he ask for help.

After saying that she had "done some research," Ms. Paltrow said that she wanted to try other therapies first. She said she was "out" after making a list of lifestyle changes that might be helpful.

"What if I took a treatment and started exercising again, stopped drinking alcohol, and just got better and slept more?"

But Paltrow explained on his podcast how his "regeneration" also involved a lot of hard and painful work.