'DWTS' Alum Sharna Burgess Opens up About Her Own Dark Times in Wake of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' Death
In the wake of the death of her friend and fellow dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Sharna Burgess has revealed why she felt compelled to share she was having "super dark thoughts" following the birth of her son, Zane, with Brian Austin Green. Entertainment Tonight's Denny Directo spoke to the former Dancing With the Stars pro about her Instagram post from last week, in which she revealed "intrusive mom thoughts" had entered her mind while holding baby Zane. "Super dark thoughts" are "all the things that could go wrong," she said. Burgess explained in the caption, "all the ways I or life could accidentally hurt my baby. Falling down stairs holding him, sickness, a car accident." The list goes on, she said, but now she's "learned to tame" those thoughts. In an interview with ET, Burgess explained why she did not fear being vulnerable online. "I felt called to share that because I went through the experience of thinking, 'Is it just me? Is it just me that has these [thoughts?] Is there something wrong with my brain? Am I heading into postpartum depression?'" Burgess said. "I would ask, 'Is this normal?' and I did get assured by my family, by [Brian] that these sort of thoughts are normal."
However, Burgess said she sought help when her "dark thoughts" suddenly included Green and her mother. "I got to a point where I was having thoughts of Brian not making it home from work or my mom not making it back to her house from leaving our house," she added. "And I had one panic attack, and that's when I went, 'I absolutely need to see someone about this because it's escalating." Since she and Green partnered with Movember's Mental Health Campaign, where support is offered 24/7 to those dialing 988, the 37-year-old has realized she is not alone in her struggle."I realized that every mom goes through this in some degree, and then I also read that 94 percent of people -- men and women -- have intrusive thoughts," Burgess explained. "It's a real term, intrusive thoughts, and whether that is you don't deserve that job or to the way more dramatic end, more violent versions of those thoughts, everybody needs to understand they're not alone. That these things are not singular. It is not just you in your own world of horrible thoughts. These are people experiencing the same thing."
Burgess and Green emphasized that with Movember, there is a community waiting to welcome and assist those needing help. "It was a huge deal for me to know that I was not alone," Burgess said. "And I think for people -- especially on Instagram, this picture-perfect look of motherhood and parenting -- it's refreshing to know it's not what it looks like. These are common struggles." Additionally, the couple talked to ET about their friend Stephen "tWitch" Boss' sudden passing."We're holding up," Burgess said of coping with the death of her friend. "It's a really sad loss. "I'm hoping that it can be used as a reminder to people that life is precious," Green added. "It's best to just continue to reach out to the people that you love, and try, and as much as possible to help them feel like speaking and being around you is a safe space." If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.
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