According to actress Hayden Panettiere, seeking treatment for and going public with her battle with postpartum depression made life a whole lot better.

Panettiere checked into treatment for postpartum depression in mid-October 2015.

“Hayden Panettiere is voluntarily seeking professional help at a treatment center as she is currently battling postpartum depression. She asks that the media respect her privacy during this time,” her rep said at the time.

But since leaving, she’s opened up.

“It made my life better. I do feel and hope it’s made other people’s lives better and more of an understanding because postpartum depression was not something that I ever understood. You could never understand it unless you have a personal involvement with it. I didn’t realize how much of a stigma it had about it,” she told EOnline.

According to Panettiere, the response to her going public with her illness was overwhelmingly positive.

“I was floored by the positive response and really happy I could stand up for the women who are out there suffering from this and let them know it’s OK, they’re not alone. It doesn’t mean they’re weak. It doesn’t mean they’re a bad mom. It doesn’t mean they’re strange and that they could get help if they need it.”

Happy belated New Year everyone!!!! pic.twitter.com/62neakadty

— hayden panettiere (@haydenpanettier) January 2, 2016

Panettiere says she struggled with postpartum depression since the birth of daughter Kaya in December of 2014.

Panettiere will return to her role on the hit show Nashville.