Reese Witherspoon Reflects on Postpartum Depression Battle as a Young Mother

Reese Witherspoon’s keeping it real ... opening up about battling postpartum depression as a young mother, and how she powered through it.

The Oscar-winner revealed her mom, Betty, also struggled with depression -- something she feared might be passed down. Turns out, she was right ... Reese says she first felt it as a teen, and it hit hard again after giving birth to her daughter Ava in 1999.

Reese told Harper’s Bazaar that during the first six months, she was "simultaneously happy and depressed," crying constantly, up all night, and completely exhausted.

She added that being a young mom was tough with the "hormone drop" ... especially with everyone around her chiming in on how to raise her baby, leaving her overwhelmed.

But it wasn’t long before a friend urged her to get help for her postpartum depression ... something she says she was fortunate enough to do, unlike many women who suffer in silence without access to care.