‘OutDaughtered’ Adam Busby Receives Criticisms After Revealing Postpartum Depression

OutDaughtered star Adam Busby recently admitted to suffering from paternal postpartum depression. However, not everyone was sympathetic, and some threw him criticisms for not being strong enough for a father.

Adam and his wife Danielle have a 6-year-old daughter, Blayke, and 2-year-old quintuplets Ava, Olivia, Hazel, Riley, and Parker. They struggled with infertility before the quintuplets were born in 2015.

It is not easy for a father to admit he is suffering from depression, much more talk about it, but Adam chose to open up about it hoping that it would help other dads out there. In an interview with ABC News, Busby said that the birth of his quintuplets has put him in a lot of pressure, which triggered the depression. He added that he is still dealing with it every day, and the depression got worse and worse.

The OutDaughtered dad said he has been constantly thinking about his kids and providing for his family to the point that he finds it difficult to focus on other matters. He shared that he started to withdraw from talking to friends and engaging with people. Adam added, “I felt like my love, my mental state, my thoughts, I gave every ounce to my family and I poured that into my family and my girls. I felt like at the end of the day, there was just nothing left.”

So proud of my friend @AdamBuzz for opening up. https://t.co/pleGOmKVHC

— Jarrid Wilson (@JarridWilson) July 25, 2017

While he received an outpouring support from OutDaughtered fans, he also got a share of backlash from commenters. One commented how sad it is when men are no longer the stronger ones, while another told him to “man up.” Some bet he would eventually leave his wife and daughters, and others even accused him of having an affair because he’s been distant. Adam defended that his marriage is rock solid, and OutDaughtered fans supported him by saying that his admission about depression is being strong and manning up.

Exposing my flaws for the sake that it may help others on a worldwide stage? No that's not strong at all… #outDAUGHTERED https://t.co/CTzWEaLlHK

— Adam Busby (@AdamBuzz) July 19, 2017

In the recent episode of OutDaughtered Season 3, Danielle Busby noticed there was something wrong with Adam. She asked him about it, but Adam tried to avoid the conversation. “I get Adam doesn’t want to talk about these issues in front of the kids, but I know he’s going through something,” Danielle said on the episode. “I’m going to give him some space, but I am concerned, so I’m just going to keep my eye on him.” Later on, Adam opened up about suffering from PPD. According to People, his depression would be tackled throughout the season.

In a statement released to People, Adam said that postpartum depression is a real struggle that fathers around the world go through. However, it is rarely talked about.

“I want to make sure that I bring awareness to the realities of postpartum depression and other mental health issues. Why? Because I know I’m not alone and I want others to know they aren’t either. I want men to feel comfortable opening up about their feelings and expressing the struggles they’re going through. I want to help end the stigma surrounding mental health. The worst thing that you can do is stay silent and try fix things on your own. So, I’m going to make sure I do the exact opposite of that.”

OutDaughtered Season 3 airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on TLC.

[Featured Image by TLC]