Celebrity Parents Alanis Morissette Reveals Battle with Crippling Postpartum Depression That Took Hold Seconds After Daughter's Birth Alanis Morissette opens up exclusively to PEOPLE about her devastating battle with postpartum depression By Melody Chiu Melody Chiu Instagram Twitter Melody Chiu is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. She has been with the brand since 2009, editing, writing and reporting across all entertainment verticals. She oversees PEOPLE's music and events coverage and has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton and Sandra Oh. The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California and has appeared on Extra!, The Talk, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 6, 2017 12:45 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Alanis Morissette grew up dreaming of being a mother, but what she didn’t expect was the devastating postpartum depression she suffered after the births of both her children. “There are days I’m debilitated to the point where I can barely move,” the singer — who’s still struggling with the illness 14 months after welcoming daughter Onyx Solace — tells PEOPLE exclusively in the latest issue. “As a kid, I imagined having children and being with an amazing partner. This is a whole other wrench I didn’t anticipate.” The Grammy winner, 43, had her first experience with PPD after giving birth to her now-6½-year-old son Ever Imre. She immediately began feeling symptoms of the disorder, including intense physical pain, insomnia, lethargy and “horrifyingly scary” visions of her family being harmed, and wasn’t diagnosed until 16 months later. Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter. Jana Cruder THIS IS A RETOUCHED HI RES FILE Alanis Morissette photographed with her husband, Souleye, and kidsóson, Ever (dob 12/25/10) and daughter, Onyx (dob 6/23/16) — at their home in Malibu, CA, on 8/15/17. Photographer: Jana Cruder Hair: Marcus Francis/Suave Professionals Celebrity Stylist/Starworks Artists Makeup: Kayleen McAdams/Armani/Starworks Artists Stylist: Heidi Meek/Opus Beauty Clothing Credits (Alanis only): Dress ñ Jaase Australia RELATED VIDEO: Inside Alanis Morissette’s ‘Gnarly’ Home Birth: ‘I Think the Words Texas Chainsaw Massacre Were Used!’ This time, she was prepared for the depression to return — and indeed, her PPD set back in “seconds later” after she gave birth to Onyx last June. “It’s very isolating,” she says. “I’m used to being the Rock of Gibraltar, providing, protecting and maneuvering. It had me question everything. I’ve known myself to be a really incredible decision-maker and a leader that people can rely on. [Now] I can barely decide what to eat for dinner.” Watch the full episode of Alanis Morissette: My Postpartum Battle, streaming now on People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the app for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, Chromecast, Xfinity, iOS and Android devices. RELATED GALLERY: Stars Who’ve Opened Up About Their Struggles with Postpartum Depression The Jagged Little Pill songstress — whose PPD is “four times worse” this time — is currently on a combination of medication and homeopathic therapies, exercising daily, working with therapists and channeling her struggles into music. “I wrote many, many songs over the last three months,” she says. “It was a song a day. I had to start writing songs, or I was going to implode.” While she tries to protect her children from PPD “because I don’t want it to be their burden,” her 7-year marriage to Mario “Souleye” Treadway has been challenged because of the illness. “My main priority is that I want to make sure both of my children are loved and bonded with and provided for,” she says. “Poor Souleye sometimes gets the dregs of my exhaustion at the end of the night. Even holding hands at this point is a deeply intimate experience.” Jana Cruder FROM PEN: Ricki Lake Wants To Help Others Struggling With Depression After Her Ex-Husband’s Suicide Mom Gets Candid About Postpartum Depression: “I Work Twice as Hard to Hide This Reality” The rapper, 37, has tried to be as supportive as possible, however, and the couple continue to find ways to bond — like watching Games of Thrones together. “I set him up to win as often as I can,” says Morissette, who’s continued creating content for her podcast. “He’s doing the best he can. I just basically say to him, ‘There’s an end to this, and I’m in the middle of it. I’m so sorry for not being able to be who you typically know me to be.’ ” The musician also refuses to stay silent about her postpartum depression. “The stigma remains in a really big way,” she says. “There’s this version of eye contact that I have with women who have been through postpartum depression where it’s this silent, ‘Oh my God, I love you. I’m so sorry.’ ” Jana Cruder Rasheeda Frost’s Blog: How I Came to Terms with My Postpartum Depression Most of all, Morissette is looking forward to feeling like herself again. “There are people who are like, ‘Where’s the old Alanis?’ and I just think, ‘Well, she’s in here. She’s having a minute,’ ” says the singer. “I just know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and try not to beat myself up.” For resources on postpartum depression, Morissette recommends visiting the Postpartum Stress Center, Vantage Point Behavioral Health & Trauma Healing and Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute for more information. She also suggests reading This Isn’t What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman and Valerie Raskin and The Postpartum Husband: Practical Solutions for Living with Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman. For more on how Morissette is doing today and how she hopes to end the silent suffering of those struggling with PPD, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.