Amber Portwood is revealing some scary side effects she experienced after her July 2019 arrest, including rapid weight loss and insomnia. The Teen Mom OG star was arrested after attacking boyfriend Andrew Glennon while he was holding their 1-year-old son, and in October pleaded guilty to one felony count of domestic battery, which will be reduced to a misdemeanor after one year of probation. The immediate aftermath of her arrest, Portwood told Us Weekly Tuesday, was a mess for her emotionally.
“I got into a really, really dark period for a couple of months,” she confessed. “I lost about 35 pounds in less than three months. My hair was falling out. When I say I went into shock, I literally, my body went in shock. I didn’t sleep for almost two weeks. I had to get out of that state of mind.”
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“It was definitely a deep depression that I went through,” she continued. “Through prison and everything I’ve been through, it was one of the worst times of my life, and when you go through something like that, you have to learn from your mistakes.”
In a sneak peek of the new Teen Mom OG season, premiering March 17, Portwood opens up to ex Gary Shirley, with whom she shares 11-year-old daughter Leah, in the immediate aftermath of her arrest.
“It’s been one of the hardest times of my life, but I’m proud of how I’ve handled it,” Portwood said in the preview. “I’m lucky to have Gary and [Gary’s wife, Kristina Shirley’s] support throughout this whole situation.”
To her ex, she confessed, “The number one regret that I have is that I did not walk out of that house that night. There are limits to somebody with mental health disorders. There’s only so much somebody like me can handle, and people like me will understand that.”
“I just have a lot of guilt of not being aware of myself more than I should have,” Portwood continued. “And I really do feel ashamed that I didn’t have that, because I should after all the things I’ve done to change.”
Teen Mom OG returns to MTV Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. ET.
Photo credit: David Crotty / Contributor, Getty
