Before entering the reality show Rise and Fall season 2, Swara Bhasker spoke candidly about how motherhood changed her sense of identity. In an interview with Yasmin Kidwai, the Veere Di Wedding actor shared that she experienced a major identity crisis and what she believes were postpartum depressive episodes after the birth of her daughter.The actor got married to political activist Fahad Ahmad in January 2023. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in September of the same year.Describing the journey from pregnancy to childbirth and the years that followed, Swara said, “From pregnancy to childbirth and everything that comes after, I feel like I’m shipwrecked. It has been like a storm. It has been so hard, in every way, physically, mentally.”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. The actor said motherhood made her feel like an entirely different person. “I have had the biggest identity crisis after I had my baby because I have become a fully new person. I don’t know myself,” she said.‘I didn’t even want to leave the house’Swara said her priorities shifted dramatically after becoming a mother. “Whole my life, I remember, I have been a highly ambitious person, a hustler, a career girl,” she said. However, during the first two years after her daughter’s birth, she said she struggled to separate herself from her child. “I didn’t even want to leave the house. I don’t want to leave the child,” Swara said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Swara Bhasker (@reallyswara) She also spoke about the guilt associated with making time for herself. “Half the reason I never tried to lose weight was that who would leave the child and go to the gym for two hours?” she said.She also shared that she found herself questioning her identity and relationship with feminism after becoming a homemaker. “I’m not leaving. I just like, ‘I’m a housewife now.’ I have this weird reverse feminism guilt that I used to be a feminist. Now I’m going home,” she said.Story continues below this adSwara on postpartum depressive episodesSwara said it took her a long time to understand and accept the changes she was experiencing. She also revealed that she felt she had experienced depressive episodes connected to the postpartum period.“I felt I had depressive episodes that were very related to being postpartum, like postpartum depressive episodes. Nobody tells you about it,” she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Swara Bhasker (@reallyswara) She said she sought professional support and continues to be in therapy. “I have a therapist, I’m in therapy, I went to an endocrinologist,” Swara said.Identity crisis after giving birthDr Rimpa Sarkar, a clinical psychologist, PhD, and Founder of Sentier Wellness in Mumbai, explained that motherhood can trigger an identity crisis, particularly for women who have previously identified strongly with their careers and ambition.“A woman is not simply adding the role of mother to her existing identity; her routines, relationships, body, priorities and sense of autonomy can all change at once. For someone whose self-concept has been strongly built around career, achievement and independence, this can create a gap between her previous identity and her current lived reality,” the expert said.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Sanjay Dutt, 67, speaks about bond with daughter Trishala: ‘We had a disconnect’“There can also be grief for the freedom and identity she had before motherhood, even when she feels enormous love for her child. That coexistence of love and loss can be confusing, and many women interpret it as “something is wrong with me” when it is actually part of a significant psychological transition,” she added.How to deal with conflicting emotions during motherhoodDr Rimpa suggested that women who are dealing with conflicting emotions should first distinguish between identity conflict and a mental health condition, as they can overlap.“A woman may experience guilt, resentment, loss of independence or discomfort with becoming a full-time caregiver while still being a loving and committed mother. Suppressing these feelings can actually increase distress, because she begins judging herself for having them,” she said.The expert highlighted the healthier approach: emotional acceptance and identity integration.Story continues below this ad“If there are persistent symptoms such as hopelessness, loss of interest, severe anxiety, withdrawal, feelings of worthlessness or difficulty functioning, then we should not simply call it an identity crisis. Those symptoms warrant assessment for postpartum depression or anxiety and appropriate professional support,” she added.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.