27 February 2023 , 13:44
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Fresh Meat favourite Kimberley Nixon has candidly opened up about the effects of her severe post-natal depression.
The 37-year-old Welsh star shares adorable son Theodore with husband Cai Howells, but parenthood hasn't been without its problems.
Discussing the challenges she faced while suffering with her mental health, she feared she was "losing her mind".
The talented actress has moved to detail her experiences with the aim of raising more awareness of the condition.
Posting a picture of herself in floods of tears, the mum explained the photo was taken three months after giving birth to her son back in 2021.
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Kimberley Nixon posted photos of herself in floods of tears (Instagram/realkimberleynixon)
She felt as if she was 'losing her mind' after being gripped by post-natal depression (Instagram/realkimberleynixon)She says she begged for help and is angry that she became so isolated.
Uploading the lengthy caption to Instagram alongside the snaps, she opened up in a bid to help others - and get a better understanding of post-natal depression.
Kimberley wrote: "This picture was taken two years ago almost to the day. I had been forced to take a shower. I couldn't stop crying.
"My baby was three-months-old. I didn't understand what was happening to me - I thought I'd lost my mind/myself/my life and I didn't know WHY?!
"I think I took this photo in a moment of hope that in a few weeks' time, I would be 'normal' again and this would be a funny memory. Remember those mad baby blues?!
She wants to shine a light on the subject so took to Instagram with a candid post (Instagram/realkimberleynixon)
Kimberley faced a battle with her mental health when she had her son Theodore, now 2 (Instagram/realkimberleynixon)"It wasn't baby blues. It was a severe post-natal mental health condition."
She went on to explain that she is now in a much better place.
"Two years later, I'm a different person. I've learned so much. I've come to understand so much," she went on.
"But I'm still so angry that when I needed help, begged for help, it wasn't there.
"I was made to feel more isolated and 'other' than I already did and that sent me in a downward spiral because it reinforced my thinking that I was beyond help.
'So fed up of tiresome pal flirting with my husband and always putting me down'
"I wasn't. I had a highly treatable, highly understandable condition as a reaction to my traumatic birth during pandemic conditions but no one told me that.
"And I won't shut up about it until things change.
"You're not broken, you're not a bad mum, you're not beyond help - you just don't have the correct information yet.
"I'm also angry that when you search a postnatal hashtag - it's all about getting as skinny as possible as soon as possible."
Kimberley has previously shined a light on her battle with OCD.
The 36-year-old talked about how she is prone to 'blips and dips' and last year talked about how she was currently experiencing a 'blip'. "
The star, who is known for roles in Cranford and Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, thinks "it's great when people talk about their recovery".