Britney Spears Believes She is Suffering from Postpartum Depression

Britney Spears has informed family and friends that she does not need to receive treatment for alcohol and drugs. Instead, she needs help for Postpartum Depression.

Sources reveal that Spears is convinced that she is suffering from postpartum depression. She does not think that she has a drug or alcohol problem. However, her family and friends disagree.

Recent reports about Spears' stay at Promises Rehab mention that the singer is not following the rules and thinks that she deserves special treatment due to her celebrity status. Spears has been making cell phone calls and has even left the facility to shop.

Spears is determined to leave early but with her husband, Kevin Federline, holding the custody issue over her head until she completes treatment, the singer is taking her stay one day at a time.

With two children under the age of 2, postpartum depression has been suspected as the cause for Spears' recent behavior. Her first son, Sean Preston, was born on September 14, 2005. Her second son, Jayden James, was born on September 12, 2006.

About Postpartum Depression

Depression after pregnancy is called postpartum depression or peripartum depression. After pregnancy, hormonal changes in a woman's body may trigger symptoms of depression. During pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in a woman's body increases greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops back down to their normal non-pregnant levels. Researchers think the fast change in hormone levels may lead to depression, just as smaller changes in hormones can affect a woman's moods before she gets her menstrual period.