Hayden Panettiere has been vocal about her battle postpartum depression. In a new interview, the actress shares her fear of not being accepted by people, as well as some strong words for those who are critical of others suffering from postpartum depression.

“It’s like you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Panettiere tells Yahoo! Style of those who question the crippling depression many mothers face after giving birth. “If you think for one second that a mother wants to feel that way toward her child, you’re outta your mind. It is one of the most debilitating, scary, guilty feelings that you can ever feel. That a mother would not be able to connect with their child, would not be able to get a grip, or would not know what’s going on, for anybody to say that it’s false or created by us, you must have your head examined.”

The actress goes on to explain that after years of being "terrified that people weren't going to accept me," she got over that fear.

"I finally just went, 'I'm tired of living afraid. I'm tired of living in fear of what people are going to think, so, you know, I'm just going to put it all out there on the table, and I'm not going to worry about the judgment,'" she says.

Through opening up and telling her story, Panettiere has grown confidence. The notes from fans and castmates flooded in, with people saying they were appreciative for her speaking out about her postpartum depression.

“The more open I was, the more acceptance I got from people,” she shares. “I got so much support and so much love. I was floored. I feel much more exposed, yes, but in a great way.”

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