{"id":4607,"date":"2024-04-08T15:57:53","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T19:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dailycupofwellness\/?p=4607"},"modified":"2024-04-08T15:57:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T19:57:53","slug":"alan-ritchson-opens-up-about-suicide-attempt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dailycupofwellness\/2024\/04\/alan-ritchson-opens-up-about-suicide-attempt.html","title":{"rendered":"Alan Ritchson Opens Up About Suicide Attempt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@catritchson \/ Instagram | Inset: Kathy Hutchons \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Reacher” star Alan Ritchson is opening up about his battle with bipolar disorder and his previous suicide attempt. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson reflected on a mental breakdown he had years ago, calling it an “existential crisis.” The actor, 41, said that he found himself in a dark place in 2019 around the time he was in postproduction on\u00a0Dark Web: Cicada 3301,<\/em> which he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in. Ritchson said he was stuck in bed for weeks. \u201cMy wife and kids were concerned, and I could see confusion in their eyes. Nobody knew what was wrong,\u201d he told the outlet, revealing that it got so bad that he went into his attic to end his life. \u201cI hung myself. It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there.\u201d What saved Ritchson was a vision he had of his sons, who are now 11, 10 and 8 years old, from the future when they were in their 30s. In the vision, Ritchson said his boys \u201ccalmly asked me not to do it, and told me that they wanted me to be here, alive and part of their lives.\u201d After seeing the vision of his boys, Ritchson was able to pull himself up, where he immediately called a doctor. \u201cI was diagnosed as bipolar right after,\u201d he said, receiving the diagnosis at age 36. The actor was also later diagnosed with ADHD at age 40. \u201cDeep down, I was comforted to know, \u2018OK, there\u2019s a name for this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

After a few dark months and on the his journey with bipolar disorder, one of Ritchson’s friends recommended he try MDMA, a drug commonly known as Ecstacy. \u201cI had never done drugs but I was truly, like, \u2018Well, I might kill myself tomorrow, what do I have to lose?\u2019 So, I did it. I swear to God, the biggest light bulb went off, and it rewired my brain in the best way,\u201d he said. \u201cMDMA is a proven therapy to treat PTSD in veterans, and it\u2019s something that can work in cognitive therapy settings.\u201d He continued, \u201cI loved it and wanted to do it every day. But, for me, for a year or two, it became like therapy. It allowed me to write and be productive. Thankfully, I was able to move past it.\u201d The actor was able to stop taking the drug and rely on other things to help his mental health. \u201cI came out of that whole thing asking myself, \u2018OK, if I am going to choose to be alive here \u2014 a decision we all make, some to a greater degree than others \u2014 what am I doing? Why am I here?\u2019\u201d he recalled. \u201cWhat I kept falling back on was the meaning and purpose of life as someone who believes that there is a creator and we are created beings, our purpose in life is, without qualification, to make the world a better place and serve others. That is what life is all about. Being bipolar has wreaked havoc on my life many, many times. I would wish it away if I could, but it\u2019s so much a part of who I am now that I should celebrate it a little or, at least, accept it,\u201d Ritchson told the outlet. \u201cMental health is an everyday conversation for me,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Reacher” star Alan Ritchson is opening up about his battle with bipolar disorder and his previous suicide attempt. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson reflected on a mental breakdown he had years ago, calling it an “existential crisis.” The actor, 41, said that he found himself in a dark place in 2019 around…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":664,"featured_media":4619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nAlan Ritchson Opens Up About Suicide Attempt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\""Reacher" star Alan Ritchson is opening up about his battle with bipolar disorder and his previous suicide attempt.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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