In a surprising, heartbreaking turn of events, Catelynn Lowell announced to fans that she’d be seeking treatment after having some suicidal thoughts yesterday.
This isn’t the first time she’s experienced big issues with her mental health — far from it.
But the fact that we’ve seen her go through this before doesn’t make it any easier to see this time around.
See why Catelynn felt the need to get help again, and what led her to this place, below …
The Beginning
Catelynn has dealt with depression and anxiety for as long as she’s been famous — which makes sense, given her childhood. Her mother, April, was an emotionally abusive addict, and when Catelynn made the difficult decision to place her baby for adoption, she received nothing but criticism and ridicule from nearly everyone in her life.
Moving Forward
In the years after giving birth that first time around, Catelynn tried to improve herself, but again, her mother was just unbelievably horrible towards her. Like, remember when she went shopping for her prom dress and her mom told her she looked ugly and called her a bitch? Things like that leave scars, no joke.
A NEW Beginning
After several years together, Catelynn and Tyler welcomed their daughter, adorable little Nova, in January of 2015. It was a beautiful time, since they’d obviously struggled so much with the decision to place Carly for adoption.
Postpartum Depression
Unfortunately, Catelynn developed a particularly devastating case of postpartum depression after having Nova — and as we saw on Teen Mom OG, it nearly destroyed her.
Hard Times
It took over a year for Catelynn to seek help with her depression. In that time, we saw her barely able to get out of bed or get off the couch, and it seemed like her relationship with Tyler suffered for it.
Rehab, Take One
In March of 2016, she checked into rehab to treat her depression. She spent nearly three weeks away at a treatment center, but of course it wasn’t an immediate fix.
More Struggling
In the months after, she returned to her old habits, and things got so bad that Tyler even threatened to divorce her — or at least that’s the way it appeared on the show. She attempted to do some therapy with horses, and she and Tyler had some televised therapy, but it was a while before she seemed to be getting back to normal.
The Happy Couple
In fact, it’s only been recently that she’s seemed to be really, truly happy. She and Tyler have a new house, they look like they’re more in love than ever, and they’ve even been talking about having another baby! So what went wrong?
Sweet Nova
Last weekend, there was a shooting in Michigan near Catelynn and Tyler’s town. Afterwards, Cate shared this photo of Nova on Instagram, and in the caption she wrote “My world, my baby. I’m going to be holding you a lot closer and a lot tighter… and I’m never letting you go.” It may not have been what sent her into a depression, but it certainly didn’t help her mental state.
So Sad
Then yesterday, she shared this photo of a stuffed horse, writing “Well Nova buddy is coming with me… and I’m gonna hold it close to my heart the whole time… #thiswontlast #thiswontstopme #keeptalkingmh” A lot of people were confused by what she was trying to say, but she made herself clear just a few moments later …
Rehab, Take Two
After sharing the photo of the stuffed animal, she tweeted “Well today I thought of every way to kill myself.. so I’m going to treatment.” She included the hashtag “make Chester proud,” referring to Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, who killed himself earlier this year.
Simply Heartbreaking
In a very upsetting statement she gave after tweeting that, she explained “I’m taking the time I need right now to take good care of myself… On November 17th I thought of every way possible to commit suicide… from wrapping a belt around my neck to just running my car into an electric pole… THANK GOD I have a support system and a HUSBAND and a DAUGHTER… thank god I am self aware… I’m seeking treatment and I WILL get better… anyone feeling alone you ARE NOT ALONE! This world needs all of us! We are all here for a reason… Thank you for your support during this tough time…. Much Love, Catelynn Baltierra.”
So Much Support
Thankfully Catelynn has a good support team these days — Tyler tweeted “Incredibly proud of my wife…when she thought she had no choices left, she reached out & decided to LIVE today! My life would be desolate without her in it. You are beautiful, strong, worthy, & loved.”
So Much Love
Then, this morning, Tyler posted on Instagram “We just dropped her off. We haven’t held each other & just cried like that for a long time. Even after 12 years, I continue to be AMAZED by her strength, vulnerability, & courage to get help. ‘As long as I am alive, you will never be alone’ – It is my call to arms & I will fight this war with her right by her side, we will not surrender to this…I will go to battle EVERY TIME for her!”
Chester’s Family is Proud
Catelynn tagged her posts “#thiswontlast,” “#KeepTalkingMH,’ (in reference to mental health), and “#makeChesterProud,” in reference to Chester Bennington, the former Linkin Park frontman who died by suicide in July; Talinda Bennington, Chester’s widow, took notice and tweeted her support.
Did the Pressure Get to Tyler?
Shortly after Catelynn went to rehab, Tyler used the n-word while describing the size of a crowd in a video he posted to his Snapchat story. Fans weren’t happy. Baltierra quickly responded, apologizing for his use of the word while saying he was trying to take a “mental break” after his wife entered treatment.
Can They Get Through This?
Catelynn and Tyler have already been through enough to break most couples several times over. Will this be yet another obstacle they overcome, or the one that finally proves too much? We’re betting on them to make it, but this can’t be easy.
Catelynn’s Story
So as of now, we know that Catelynn entered treatment this morning, Tyler was with her when she went in, and while he’s clearly struggling along with her, they’re a united front, and he’s behind her 100%. As always, best wishes to her and her family. Her story is still being written. Here’s hoping it ends well.
Keep Talking. Save a Life.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit their website.