“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Teddi Mellencamp is opening up about the severe depression she’s dealing with as a result of contracting Covid amid her cancer battle. During the September 17 episode of her podcast, “Two Ts in a Pod,” Mellencamp sat down with fellow “RHOBH” star Erika Jayne and spoke about the difficult time she’s been having.
“I ended up getting sick,” she told Jayne. “I got COVID, which, I’m good now. Then I started feeling like extreme, extreme depression.” Mellencamp added, “I almost needed to call you for advice because this past week has been so brutal.”
Jayne asked Mellencamp if she’d been feeling hopeless, and Mellencamp said yes. “I haven’t ever felt like that,” she revealed.
Teddi Mellencamp Sought Professional Help for Depression
In April, Mellencamp announced she’d been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer after invasive melanoma spread to her brain and lungs. Her initial melanoma diagnosis came in 2022. Mellencamp has had her fair share of health setbacks in recent months, but it was her bout with Covid that had a devastating effect on her mental health.
She explained to Jayne that she got in touch with her psychiatrist who “changed my medications around.” She was also given some helpful advice about remaining positive amid her health struggles, but she told Jayne, “I mean, I cried every single day.”
Jayne has been open about her own mental health issues in the past, and was candid during a season 11 episode of “RHOBH.” “Every day I woke up, I dreaded waking up. So, I called a psychiatrist and I went on Lexapro,” she shared with the show’s other cast members.
But even with this knowledge, Mellencamp was hesitant to reach out to Jayne. “I hate asking people for help,” she explained when Jayne asked why she hadn’t called.
Mellencamp & Erika Jayne Had a Helpful Conversation
Mellencamp and Jayne’s conversation was not only important to them, but to fans who might be going through similar struggles. Both women were candid in sharing their experiences, and Jayne wasn’t shy when it came to talking about her own mental health.
“When you are going through, like, depressive stuff, like how long does it normally take you to kind of snap out of it?” Mellencamp asked, and Jayne replied, “My medication didn’t really kick in till about 4 to 6 weeks.”
Mellencamp revealed that she felt “stuck,” despite having been told by doctors that her feelings were normal given the circumstances. “I still can’t drive. I felt like I was just stuck inside of this house and then I think COVID added to it … And then you, start wondering, like, did I make a mistake?”
Thankfully, she also shared that she was beginning to feel a bit better, especially now that she has tested negative for Covid. “Yesterday I was like, okay, I’ll go get my nails, done. I got a pedi,” she said.
