Sarah Wynter rose to fame playing Kate Warner on the Fox 24 TV show in 2002, which led to roles in Windfall and The Dead Zone.
But while she was successful in show business, the Australian actress also secretly wanted to have children and start a family.
In a touching post for Vanity Fair, Wynter, 48, spoke about her marriage, fertility issues and her traumatic experience with postpartum psychosis following the birth of her twins.
Past struggles: Australian actress Sarah Wynter has spoken candidly about her traumatic experience with postpartum psychosis
Sarah said she had “dreamed of having a family” and, after falling in love and married magazine editor Dan Peres in 2005, they finally welcomed their first child, Oscar, in 2008 following problems. fertility.
The couple tried for another baby, and after two IVF attempts and a miscarriage, Sarah gave birth to twins Sam and Julian in 2011.
It was then that postpartum psychosis subsided as Sarah was for the first time “haunted” by the beeps she had heard in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Family: Sarah had her first child Oscar in 2008 after some fertility issues. She then tried to have another baby with her husband and, after two IVF attempts and a miscarriage, gave birth to twins Sam and Julian in 2011. It was then that postpartum psychosis set in. installed.
The Goliath star said the beeps were in “phones, microwaves, alarms, washing machines, computers, cars” and “every beep would make my heart beat faster.”
Sarah then became obsessed with germs and hygiene, and was unable to understand why her husband did not share her level of obsession.
“The NICU emphasizes the danger of germs. Germs can make babies sick. Bad germs can even kill them. The stress gave me manic energy that seemed to build up, ”she said.
Sarah asked guests in her house to wash their hands, remove their shoes, and leave their phones and bags at the door, among other strict hygiene measures.
‘Manic Energy’: The Goliath star has become obsessed with germs and hygiene, imposing strict hygiene measures on guests. She was also “haunted” by the beeps from the NICU
When Dan began to question his rituals, Sarah told her friends about getting a divorce because he was “becoming an enemy” of her obsessions.
The 6th Day actress also shared her imaginary fears that a tree growing near their house could fall and crush the house with them inside, and that their basement could be flooded after heavy rains, drowning them. .
Sarah started to stutter, became forgetful and disoriented, and would lose track of her thoughts.
“I decided I had to have a stroke. Everything seemed visually blurry, pixelated, ”she added.
After several emotional outbursts, Sarah’s husband and friends arranged for an intervention with a therapist, suspecting Sarah was suffering from some form of postpartum PTSD.
Help: After several emotional outbursts, Sarah’s husband and friends arranged for an intervention with a therapist, believing Sarah was suffering from some form of postpartum PTSD. Pictured: Sarah with her children Oscar, 13, and Sam and Julian, 10
Sarah went to a therapist and worked for months to feel good with her children and not become obsessive.
She eventually returned to her “old self” and, for a while, was “ashamed” of her illness.
“With time, the shame went away,” she said. “Now I understand that I was struck by an illness that I did not choose. “
Sarah has finally spoken to her friends and colleagues about her postpartum psychosis and now wants to “de-stigmatize mental health issues”.
Sarah’s story with postpartum psychosis became the inspiration for Amy Koppelman’s 2021 film A Mouthful of Air starring Amanda Seyfried, which is now available to stream on Amazon.
Real Life: Sarah’s Story with Postpartum Psychosis became the inspiration for Amy Koppelman’s 2021 film A Mouthful of Air starring Amanda Seyfried, which is now available to stream on Amazon. Pictured: Sarah at the Mouthful of Air New York premiere on October 24
