Why it’s so important that “Teen Mom” Catelynn Lowell so honestly opened up about her mental health

We’ve been rooting hard for Teen Mom’s Catelynn Lowell, and the incredibly brave and strong 24-year-old just got *so* real about dealing with mental illness. We’re so moved by her vulnerable words, and her desire to encourage openness about mental illness.

The Teen Mom star told Cosmpolitan about her struggles.

“It was a hard decision for me to expose everything mentally, but then again, it was also instinctual to just be open and share it. I feel like a lot of women have postpartum,” she said. “I just saw a Facebook article yesterday about this girl who had a 4-month-old and she took her own life because of postpartum depression. Her family didn’t even know she had it. But it’s out there and it’s sad and there is help. I just wanted to show the realness of it and the rawness of what happens.”

“Mental illness is a serious thing that can take over your life. I’ve been there and it’s taken over mine. A part of me feels like I had depression and panic disorder on top of postpartum, if that makes any sense.”

According to The Kim Foundation, about 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older or about one in four adults have a mental illness. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for adults, that means that 57.7 million people have some form of mental illness. It’s common, and it shouldn’t cause shame or embarrassment, but, for many, it does.

Catelynn Lowell also shared her experience with medication, which is *so* important.

“I’ve been on medication for four years. I might be able to be off of it and not have to be on it forever, but some people do have to be on it forever. It helps you out of the hole, if you’re doing the right things, like seeking talk therapy and seeking a psychiatrist,” she explained. “But the thing is, so many young people these days struggle with these things and they can’t afford the help.”

“It’s like these younger kids that are taking their own lives, women are struggling with postpartum. There needs to be more help out there, and there’s not a lot, at all,” she said. “When I was in a really dark place, the only thing that I could think about was going to a hospital and admitting myself into a psych ward so that way I could get help instantly. It shouldn’t have to come down to that.”

It’s not the first time she’s opened up about her struggle with mental illness, and we remain at her side and sending her nothing but good vibes.

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