336: In Conversation with Alanis Morissette and Postpartum Support International

We have a very special episode to share with you today. I’m deeply honored to host Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, thought leader, and wholeness advocate, Alanis Morissette! She is joined by the president and CEO of Postpartum Support International, Dr. Wendy Davis! 

Alanis found PSI as a resource when she was dealing with perinatal mental health challenges, and she has openly shared about the value of PSI resources while on tour. In addition to being a long-time, powerful presence in the music world, she has become an equally influential advocate for mental health. She has been vocal about experiencing postpartum depression, or “postpartum activity,” as she has referred to it. In our conversation, she shares like never before what her experience was like, how it impacted her life, and how she has found her way to healing. Being in the public eye as a well-known performer has brought a whole other level of pressure and scrutiny to Alanis’ life experiences under the bright–and sometimes stinging–light of celebrity. 

Dr. Wendy Davis began as a volunteer with PSI in 1997, became the executive director in 2009, and later became the president and CEO. She was drawn to this work after healing from postpartum depression and has become a passionate advocate and leader in the world of perinatal mental health. I’ve been privileged to see Wendy in action at PSI and work closely with her in my role as the Board Chair. Her heart-centered and help-centered approach to leadership has grown PSI into the leading perinatal mental health non-profit in the world today. 

Show Highlights:

• Alanis’ struggle to balance the people-pleasing life of a celebrity with “the dark swamp of depression” that nobody wanted to see or hear
• Being a high-achieving perfectionist who is self-reliant and autonomous puts a person at a greater risk for postpartum depression.
• Figuring out the archetype of “mom” is a lifelong journey.
• Motherhood brings profound vulnerability–and ALL the past traumas.
• Alanis’ perspective: What does a struggling mother need the most? To be nurtured
• Understanding how the 90s rock and roll scene was a strongly patriarchal environment that left Alanis feeling more isolated and less connected
• Alanis’ role today as the champion of a sisterhood that protects and micromanages on behalf of women
• The immense value of someone saying, “I see you.”
• Alanis’ experience with anger, rage, panic attacks, and a loss of identity
• Tenderness, love, and empowerment in motherhood
• The elements of support that were most helpful for Alanis: the appropriate medications, finding community, strong relationships, and finding a space of safety to be “broken” (What didn’t help was someone saying, “You’re not alone.”)
• What we all want: to make postpartum challenges more visible and to normalize the conversations around them
• “Wholeness over wellness”
• Alanis’ thoughts on the beauty and purity of being a mother to her children
• Our immense gratitude for Alanis’ impact as a fierce advocate and champion of PSI’s work and helpful resources

Resources:

Connect with Alanis Morissette: Find out more about Alanis’ music and events on her Website; follow Alanis on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Please find resources in English and Spanish at Postpartum Support International, or by phone/text at 1-800-944-4773. There are many free resources, like online support groups, peer mentors, a specialist provider directory, and perinatal mental health training for therapists, physicians, nurses, doulas, and anyone who wants to better support people for whom they provide services. 

You can also follow PSI on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and most other platforms

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

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