Catelynn Lowell Opens Up About Suicidal Thoughts In Shocking Interview

As expected, last night’s Teen Mom OG reunion show was loaded with drama, much of it having to do with ongoing questions about Ryan Edwards’ sobriety.

But while Ryan’s situation may have dominated the tabloid headlines in recent weeks, he’s certainly not the only member of the TMOG cast to grapple with personal demons this season.

Catelyn Lowell checked into rehab three times over the course of the past year.

Unlike Ryan, however, her primary battle was not with substances but with mental illness.

Lowell opened up about experiencing suicidal thoughts prior to seeking treatment in November, and during her interview with Dr. Drew that aired last night, she revealed that her situation has improved dramatically in recent months.

“If I don’t go somewhere else today, I’m going to off myself and life would be 10 times better,” Catelynn said, recalling her lowest point.

“I could picture myself driving into an electrical pole off the road, praying it would kill me. But I wouldn’t do it because I had my kid in the backseat.”

These days, Catelynn says, her life is not without its struggles, but changes in her diagnosis (Lowell suffers from PTSD) and her medications have left her feeling that she’s equipped to handle the ups and downs.

Lowell also says she’s quit pot for good after being advised that the use of recreational drugs might have exacerbated her condition in the past.

For his part, Tyler said he still smokes occasionally but was quick to add that he never gets high in his wife’s presence.

“I don’t smoke around her,” Tyler told Dr. Drew.

Lowell stated in several recent interviews that Tyler has been endlessly supportive throughout her recent struggles.

The segment ended with more good news for the Baltierra clan, as Tyler’s troubled father, Butch Baltierra, joined the proceedings via Skype and informed the audience that he’s been sober ever since completing rehab back in November.

It was a bittersweet interview, with Lowell addressing the subject of her miscarriage and fighting tears while discussing the “emotional year” that threatened to tear her family apart.

But Catelynn and Tyler survived, in part thanks to their love for one another.

Yes, Ryan’s recent bad behavior may make for more scandalous television, but thankfully TMOG viewers seem more interested in celebrating the casts’ successes than in gawking at their misfortunes.

Watch Teen Mom OG online for more on Catelynn’s courageous struggle.

View Slideshow: Catelynn Lowell Checks into Rehab AGAIN: What Happened?!

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Catelynn Lowell: Is She Traumatizing Her Daughter?!

If you keep up with Teen Mom, then you know that a whole lot of people have a whole lot of feelings about Catelynn Lowell these days.

And most of them are not good.

As we"ve been seeing in the past few episodes of the show, Catelynn began having some suicidal thoughts after suffering a miscarriage, and so she went off for six weeks of treatment at a facility in Arizona.

When she was done, she came home for a bit, then left for another six weeks of treatment at the same rehab.

A lot of people are having a hard time sympathizing with that last part.

On the season finale, we saw her return home to Tyler and their daughter, Nova, and lots of viewers thought she seemed a little distant even then.

Nova told her "thank you for coming back," and instead of comforting and reassuring her, Catelynn simply said "you"re welcome" — strike one.

According to several fans, it didn"t look like she gave being at home a chance before telling Tyler that she was experiencing some anxiety again and that she needed to go back to treatment.

He tried to suggest outpatient treatment, and her treatment center itself suggested the same, but she assured them that she knew best, and that outpatient treatment wouldn"t cut it — strike two.

Then, instead of explaining all of this to Nova, she told her on the way to daycare that she wouldn"t be picking her up that day.

Nova had a meltdown, begging Cate to let her stay home, and viewers assumed that was because she was terrified her mother would leave again — strike three.

The baseball analogy stops working here though, because there are a few more strikes, one being when Catelynn seemed to get more emotional about leaving her dogs than she did about leaving her kid.

The big one was during Tyler"s conversation about the whole thing with his sister. He told her that Catelynn"s behavior was beginning to remind him of their father"s — you know, the father that did crack and spent much of Tyler"s childhood in prison.

Tyler said that he told her that going back to inpatient treatment might be best for her, but trying to do therapy and staying at home would be best for Nova.

According to him, her response was "she"ll manage."

So now Cate has gone from being the sweetheart of the show to nearly the most hated cast member, which is saying a lot when you think about the show"s other cast members.

But in this new sneak peek from Monday night"s reunion show, it looks like Catelynn"s biggest critic is herself.

The clip begins with Catelynn crying to Dr. Drew. He asks if she"s OK, and she says that she "will be in a second."

"I think I know what got you," he tells her — it sounds like they were watching a clip from the season that made her cry.

He thinks it was something about Nova that got her upset, and she agrees, so he asks what is it about her daughter that made her cry.

"When I was in treatment," she explains, "I struggled with the fact of like … you know, am I putting her through the same stuff my parents put me through, just traumatizing her, or … yeah."

She starts crying again, and Dr. Drew tells her that they"re different situations.

"I"ve learned that," she replies, "but it still scares me."

"Can I frame this for you?" Drew asks before telling her "The pain you"re feeling is not your daughter"s, it"s yours."

Pretty heavy stuff, huh?

He explains to her that "I understand you"re afraid it"s hers, and that she of course has her own feelings about mommy being away, but the deep pain you"re feeling is your pain, not hers."

Regardless of what you think about Catelynn"s multiple trips to rehab, this is heartbreaking, right?

We know that her father moved across the country when she was young, and she was left with her mother who brought a series of terrible boyfriends home.

She"s been open about how abusive some of those boyfriends have been — she claimed that one even choked her when she was just 14.

On top of that, we"ve seen her mother be incredibly abusive to her, calling her names and letting Butch belittle her to the point where she felt the need to move away from them and into Tyler"s home.

Catelynn"s been through a whole, whole lot of terrible things, and while it"s obviously hard on Nova to have her mom gone, the two situations just aren"t remotely similar.

Watch the heartbreaking clip of Catelynn below:

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Catelynn Lowell Claps Back at Rehab-Shamers: You"re Ignorant!!

In the wake of being slammed for going back to rehab, Teen Mom OG star Catelynn Lowell is clapping back at her haters.

She’s being mom-shamed, wife-shamed, and plain ol’ shamed for “abandoning” her family. And she’s clapping back.

Take a look at her strong words — and at the hate to which she was responding.

Following the episode in which she explained the reason she was returning to rehab, Catelynn Lowell took to Twitter to put the haters on blast.

“All you ignorant people are the reason why mental health still has this huge stigma around it!”

The stigma surrounding mental health is devastating, though things are getting better as more and more people use social media to share what was once a private struggle.

She shares some hashtags that encourage people to learn more about mental health.

“#GetEducated #KeepTalkingMH”

She wishes that people wouldn’t condemn her for going to rehab when they clearly do not know what they’re talking about.

“You have NO clue unless you have been through it yourself.”

In many ways, Catelynn feels exhasperated.

“Some of you people disgust me.”

She continues to correct the people who think that she was abandoning her family by going to rehab.

“I wasn’t ‘running away’ from my problems I was FIXING them!”

Yep. Seeking medical help when you need it is the right thing to do.

“Working HARD & getting on the right medication.”

Sometimes, that requires inpatient treatment.

“I wouldn’t wish this crap on my worst enemy!”

Mental illness is a terrible burden. The only good thing about it is that more people are speaking openly about their struggles.

“But I guess I’ll have haters no matter what! Just glad I got myself better and if ppl r mad then be mad I guess #KeepTalkingMH”

Having haters — and ideally learning to accept them — goes with the territory of being a reality star, unfortunately.

Catelynn retweeted a few supportive tweets, including one that reads:

“I’ve done outpatient & inpatient treatment and sometimes outpatient just isn’t enough at that certain time! That’s nothing to be ashamed of. dont listen to the hate! I’ll never understand how you guys deal with so much bullshit from random people! You’re so strong!”

She also clapped back at a hater, who wrote:

“Us people? Smh”

Catelynn’s own tweet responded:

“Yes the ones that are uneducated on mental illness. That’s what ignorance is. People with uneducated opinions.”

She’s not wrong.

If you want to see what sorts of hate she’s fighting back again, take a look at this small sampling of social media vitriol that fills her mentions:

“Lots of wives and mothers have to do this while still raising a family. Not everyone has the luxury of dumping their family and hopping on a plane to a rehab center to ‘get their meds right’. They do that between raising a family and working a full time job.”

Ugh.

“If she got a job, joined a gym & ate the right food that be half the battle for her! She’s too much time to sit around eating smoking and thinking. Get a life and live it! Get healthy for one that’s a start.”

Gross.

“You’re not the only parent struggling with mental health issues. I am a single parent with mental health issues BUT, I still have to provide for my family and be there when my children need me. You are putting Nova in the same position your parents put you in, think about that.”

Yikes.

“Wasn’t she instructed to stay away from social media? She’s a non-compliant patient which makes one wonder in what other areas of her life is she not following the process? Does she even *want* to get better?”

Hush.

“You complain too much!!! Get over it. People have been through worst s–t then you and youre dragging s–t out thats 10+ yrs old. Woman up. Can’t even cook for your man”

These haters may be eager to slam Catelynn for making what was clearly a responsible choice for herself and for her loved ones.

But Tyler Baltierra is standing by his wife.

In response to her on-camera confession that she needed to return to rehab in order to truly recover, he said:

“I’m not ever leaving, I’m not going anywhere. Don’t think like that.”

He reiterated that message on social media, writing:

“I love you more Babe! True love is boundless, limitless, & unconditional!”

View Slideshow: Catelynn Lowell SLAMMED for Going Back to Rehab: Does She Deserve the Hate?

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Catelynn Lowell SLAMMED for Going Back to Rehab: Does She Deserve the Hate?

So something funny happened after the season finale of Teen Mom OG aired this week …

Believe it or not, against all odds, Catelynn Lowell became the most hated cast member on the whole entire show.

Or, OK, maybe not the most hated, but if you follow online conversations about Teen Mom, you"ll see that Cate has been getting a whole, whole lot of backlash for what happened during this week"s show.

Does she deserve the criticism for returning to rehab shortly after checking out?

Let"s investigate!

1. Treatment

As we saw this season, Catelynn checked into rehab back in November after she began feeling suicidal. She had a miscarriage and it was very hard for her to handle, so she flew out to Arizona for approximately six weeks of treatment.

2. Doing Well?

We didn’t see any actual treatment, but we did see Tyler and Nova visit her, along with other family members. As time went on, she seemed happier and happier, and everyone had high hopes that she was doing well there.

3. Not So Fast

But then she came home during the season finale. And we quickly saw that she wasn’t doing as well as it seemed.

4. Sad, Sad, Sad

She appeared to be disinterested in everything, which, you know, depression. But this time around, fans of the show weren’t as forgiving with her behavior.

5. Poor Everyone

We saw her snap at Nova as she was putting her down for a nap, and we saw Tyler bite his tongue about it — he obviously wasn’t comfortable with what was happening.

6. Exhausted

Then when they went to go check out the renovations on the house they’d bought, she sat in the corner while Tyler did business. He bit his tongue again when she explained that she was exhausted, because he watched her sleep all night as he continued to deal with insomnia.

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Catelynn Lowell Addresses Haters: Mental Illness Does NOT Make Me a Bad Mom!

Over the course of the past 18 months, Catelynn Lowell has checked into rehab three times.

Sadly, she’s taken a fair bit of flak from insensitive fans as a result of her struggles with mental illness.

While it certainly wasn’t her intention when she first decided to seek help, Catelynn has become a sort of spokesperson for young mothers struggling with mental health issues.

Most have applauded Lowell for her willingness to share her struggle with Teen Mom OG fans.

But as is always the case in 2018, haters have come out of the woodwork with the apparent goal of raining on Lowell’s parade.

Fortunately, Cate has no patience for their trash-talk:

“You’re not the only parent struggling with mental health issues,” a Twitter user wrote this week.

“I am a single parent with mental health issues BUT, I still have to provide for my family and be there when my children need me.”

Catelynn was quick to clap back by pointing out that in seeking treatment, she was doing what was best for her family:

“I wasn’t ‘running away from my problems. I was FIXING them! Working HARD & getting on the right medication,” she tweeted.

“I wouldn’t wish this crap on my worst enemy! But I guess I’ll have haters no matter what! Just glad I got myself better and if ppl r mad then be mad I guess.”  

Catelynn further confirmed that her health is on the upswing these days by posting the photo below on Instagram:

“I love you so much!!!” she captioned the pic, in apparent tribute to her husband, Tyler Baltierra.

“And for all you haters vows say —in SICKNESS and in health . . . remember that . . . Because this man has done that for me beyond what could imagine.”

We’re sure Catelyn understands the frustrations of moms who are struggling but can’t afford in-patient treatment.

But at the end of the day, she’s making no apologies for taking steps to ensure her own health and the happiness of her husband and daughter.

Watch Teen Mom OG online for more of Catelynn’s courageous struggle.

View Slideshow: Catelynn Lowell Checks into Rehab AGAIN: What Happened?!

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Catelynn Lowell Reveals the Real Reason She Checked Into Rehab

On Twitter, Catelynn Lowell has been celebrating her sobriety. She says that she’s been sober for months, now.

But on Teen Mom OG, which is filmed earlier, she’s still in the process of explaining to her husband why she needs to go to rehab in the first place.

She lays out those reasons very clearly.

On Monday’s episode of Teen Mom OG, Catelynn Lowell explained to her husband, Tyler Baltierra, exactly why she had to return to rehab.

“It’s nothing to do with you, Tyler. It’s my inner child s–t. I’m telling you right now, it’s nothing to do with what you do.”

Of course it isn’t his fault, but it’s sad that her childhood is still plaguing her as an adult. That is far too common.

And she cites some specific traumas that continue to haunt her.

“It’s me being a f–king 12-year-old and my dad leaving or me being, like, 8 and my mom drinking all the time and not being there.”

That is just heartbreaking.

“It’s my own s–t. It’s just coming out when things go on in life.”

Catelynn continues, saying:

“That’s how trauma works.”

She’s exactly right.

And she did a better and more succinct job of explaining how trauma in childhood can contribute to things like alcohol abuse as an adult than plenty of experts.

She then went on to assure husband Tyler Baltierra that, of course, her entering rehab did not reflect on him.

“It’s nothing to do with you, you’re awesome. You’re supportive.”

After Catelynn Lowell tweeted her support for fellow Teen Mom star Amber Portwood, someone on Twitter nastily chose to characterize the two of them as “drug addicts.”

Catelynn’s response was positively classy, as she wrote:

“We’re not drug addicts but whatever helps you sleep at night.”

She went on to celebrate her enduring sobriety, responding to a much more polite fan’s question by writing:

“Been sober for going on 5 months.”

One fan — very politely — asked for clarification, wanting to know if Catelynn was using the term “sober” under the strictest terms or if she meant from all mind-altering substances.

Catelynn clarified that she had even quit using marijuana.

Though marijuana is widely regarded to be safe by the medical community, it can sometimes be used as a “crutch” to avoid processing emotions.

Some find that long-term use can exacerbate whatever issues they were trying to avoid.

Unfortunately, sometimes people find that they have to face their problems instead of self-medicating for them.

Catelynn found that she’d seen an improvement once she’d cut off all substances that let her distance herself from her own thoughts.

Can we just acknowledge for a moment that it is deeply refreshing to hear someone explain trauma and its long-term effects and the role that it plays in addiction?

Most people are accustomed to hearing that spelled out in wildly clinical terms. 

We have to wonder how many viewers sat there are listened to Catelynn talk and faced sudden realizations about what had led to their own behaviors.

Watch Teen Mom online if you want to continue to keep up with Catelynn’s struggle.

View Slideshow: Catelynn Lowell Checks into Rehab AGAIN: What Happened?!

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Catelynn Lowell: I"m Finally Sober!

Catelynn Lowell has made no secret of her struggles with mental illness and addiction in recent years.

While critics have called Catelynn a drug addict and attempted to stigmatize her battle with PTSD, the Teen Mom OG star has continued to serve as a reminder that those who face their demons should be applauded, not condemned.

No doubt many young moms in Lowell’s position would to to great lengths to hide their diagnoses for fear of public judgement.

But Cate has remained refreshingly candid every step of the way and has no doubt earned quite a few new fans in th process.

As The Ashley’s Reality Roundup points out, Catelynn made a major revelation about her sobriety over the weekend after a fan accused her of being an addict.

“Been sober for five months,” Lowell revealed.

Cate has stated in the past that her main addiction was to marijuana, and she says she now takes great pride in the fact that she hasn’t smoked in several months.

While marijuana is not the first substance that springs to mind when one thinks of a drug dependency, Catelynn’s course of treatment required her to free herself from all chemicals that she had been using as psychological crutches.

Lowell says that during her first stint in rehab, she became aware that she’s more dependent on pot than she had previously realized.

“She detoxed from marijuana while in treatment in which she admittedly used as a crutch for her anxiety,” an insider reportedly told Radar in January.

“She’s sober from alcohol too.”

Lowell made a previous attempt to quit smoking, but her mother-in-law Kim famously called her out in a 2016 episode of TMOG.

That same year, Catelynn was shown smoking pot while driving, which caused many fans to criticize her on social media.

Cate says she spent several years under the impression that marijuana was helping to reduce her anxiety and depression but now realizes it was simply making her emotional state even worse.

Now it seems quitting weed is another step in a long process that recently involved some major changes in her medication regimen:

“I feel way better,” Cate recently said on Kail Lowry‘s Coffee Convos podcast.

“I did a whole med switch and genetic testing. 

“I found out that the medication I was on for five years doesn’t even work for me,” she added.

“They put me on different medications and they seem to be working really well. It all stems from the trauma of my past so I’m going to have to keep digging into that.”

We wish Ms. Lowell all the best in her continued journey toward greater mental health.

Watch Teen Mom OG online for more of Cate’s courageous struggle.

View Slideshow: Catelynn Lowell Checks into Rehab AGAIN: What Happened?!

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Catelynn Lowell to Tyler Baltierra: Why Don"t You Just Divorce Me?!

Over the course of the past year, Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra have endured challenges that would put any marriage to the test.

Catelynn suffered a miscarriage that exacerbated existing mental health problems for both her and Tyler.

Lowell checked into rehab three times, and while she says the treatment helped, there"s no quick fix for mental illness.

Now, she and Tyler are coping with the challenges of addressing their ailments while still attending to the needs of their daughter – and their marriage.

And as Teen Mom OG fans were reminded this week, it hasn"t been an easy process:

1. Happier Times

Despite their painful pasts, Catelynn and Tyler were regarded as one of the Teen Mom franchise’s most stable couples for several years. Unfortunately, the Baltierras have fallen on hard times in recent months.

2. Catelynn’s Heartbreak

Last year, Catelynn suffered a miscarriage after months of trying to conceive. The tragic loss sent her into a downward spiral that resulted in multiple hosptalizations.

3. Suicidal Ideation

At one point, Catelynn checked herself in for treatment after telling fans she had been contemplating suicide. In the months since, she’s become a role model for young people struggling with mental illness.

4. Tyler Steps Up

Catelynn’s husband has been widely praised for supporting her emotionally and assuming more parenting duties during this difficult time, despite struggling with mental health issues of his own.

5. Ups and Downs

The Baltierras are currently working together to climb out of a very deep pit. But as the latest Teen Mom OG preview reminds us the process of battling mental illness is a lengthy one with many ups and downs.

6. A Difficult Admission

“It’s super hard for me to tell you this thing so keep an open mind,” Catelynn told Tyler in the clip. “I started having really bad anxiety in the mornings. I guess I’ve just been hiding it.”

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Catelynn Lowell & Tyler Baltierra: We Want to Teach Your Kids About Mental Health!

Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra have had quite a year.

There may have been more ups and downs in the past 12 months, but the beloved Teen Mom OG couple deserves praise for consistently turning negatives into positives.

Unfortunately, the most noteworthy recent development for the young couple is a tragic one:

Catelynn suffered a miscarriage, and the trauma of the event took a tremendous psychological toll on both her and her husband.

Lowell checked into rehab to be treated for various mental health issues in the aftermath of the shocking loss.

Clearly, it’s difficult to find any sort of silver lining in such a painful series of events, but it does seem as though Cate and Tyler have both emerged from the wreckage with a better understanding of theit minds’ inner workings.

And fortunately for fans, the Baltierras are seeking out ways to share what they’ve learned with the world:

As The Ashley’s Reality Roundup points out, Catelynn and Tyler appeared on Kailyn Lowry’s podcast this week, where they discussed a wide array of topics, including their plans to help fans who are coping with issues similar to their own.

“We’re talking to MTV and trying to come up with a couple different pitches for a mental health special,” Tyler said.

“Ironically ‘Teen Mom’ has had a lot of mental health [issues] that have been covered on a lot of the stories. We really want to do a public thing, possibly with Dr. Drew [Pinsky].

“The hard part is crafting a message and making it be genuine and not just trying to cash in on this thing we’ve got going on,” Baltierra added.

As for her struggles with PTSD and depression, Catelynn said she’s turned a corner as of late:

“I feel way better,” Cate said.

“I did a whole med switch and genetic testing. I found out that the medication I was on for five years doesn’t even work for me.”

She added:

“They put me on different medications and they seem to be working really well. It all stems from the trauma of my past so I’m going to have to keep digging into that.”

And it seems Cate and Tyler feel their both in a position where they can turn their attention to helping others.

As longtime Teen Mom OG fans know, the couple made the painful decision to place their youngest daughter, Carlee, up for adoption before she was born back in 2009.

While they still believe they did what was best for their baby, the decision has clearly caused the couple a good deal of pain over the years, as they’ve struggled to maintain a relationship with Carlee, despite the fact that they’re not her legal guardians.

Now, Catelynn and Tyler are hoping to channel that pain into a second children’s book, this one focusing on the unique challenges fced by adopted children.

“Me and Catelynn have been talking lately about doing an adoption book for kids who are adoptees and for kids who have siblings that have been adopted,” Tyler said.

“I think it would be cool to explain to the kids, in their language, how [adoption] works.”

Watch Teen Mom OG online to relive the rocky road that brought the Baltierras to where they are today.

View Slideshow: Catelynn Lowell & Tyler Baltierra: We’re Gonna Have More Kids NOW!

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Catelynn Lowell & Tyler Baltierra: We"re Ready For More Kids!

Saying it"s been a rough year for Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra would be putting it very mildly.

Catelynn recently left rehab after suffering a string of setbacks that exacerbated her various mental health issues.

Late last year, Lowell suffered a miscarriage after several months of trying to get pregnant.

Now surprisingly, the tragedy sent her into a deep depression, but it seems she and Tyler remain dedicated to expanding their family.

Here"s what we know so far about Catelynn and Tyler"s exciting plans…

1. Pressing On

Catelynn and Tyler are still reeling from a tremendously difficult year, but they’ve held on to one another – and to their shared optimistic outlook on the future.

2. Courageous Cate

Catelynn has checked into rehab three times in the past year. She’s been diagnosed with PTSD and a number of other mental health issues.

3. A Secret Tragedy

Early in her treatment, Catelynn hinted at a recent painful event that led her to spiral into a deep depression. But it wasn’t until recently that she opened up with regard to the specifics.

4. A Mother’s Grief

Fans were shocked to learn that Catelynn had suffered a miscarriage. The mother of two has long been open about her desire to welcome more children into the world, and she was clearly crushed by the tragic turn of events.

5. Hard Conversations

Catelynn and Tyler have both been admirably honest about their diagnoses. In an interview, Lowell revealed that she suffers from PTSD as a result of a difficult childhood and her recent miscarriage.

6. One Younger Sibling – Coming Up!

Despite their recent difficulties, Catelynn and Tyler are determined to have at least one more child. The Teen Mom OG favorites shared the exciting news with fans earlier this week.

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