Famous actor Alan Ritchson reflected on his mental health journey and detailed his suicide attempt in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The 41-year-old star said he tried to take his own life in 2019 when he reached a dark place. He was in postproduction on “Dark Web: Cica 3301” at the time, and was co-writing, producing, directing and acting in the film. He said his mental health declined so badly that he was “stuck in bed for weeks.” “My wife and kids were concerned, and I could see confusion in their eyes. Nobody knew what was wrong,” Ritchson told The Hollywood Reporter. He said he went to the attic to end his life. “I hung myself. It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there,” he said.
Alan Ritchson attends the Los Angeles special screening of Prime Video series “Reacher” Season 2 at the Culver Theater on December 13, 2023 in Culver City, California. Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images
Alan Ritchson attends the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards at Allegiant Stadium on March 07, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Ritchson said as he dangled dangerously close to death, he had a vision of his three sons from the future, in their mid-30s. In the vision, the actor said his children “calmly asked me not to do it, and told me that they wanted me to be here, alive and part of their lives,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He managed to pull himself up before he blacked out and phoned a doctor for help immediately.
“I was diagnosed as bipolar right after,” he said. The actor was 36-years-old at the time. He was diagnosed with ADHD at age 40.
“Deep down, I was comforted to know, ‘OK, there’s a name for this,'” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Actor Alan Ritchson attends Paramount Pictures’ “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” premiere at Regency Village Theatre on August 3, 2014 in Westwood, California. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Ritchson’s friend encouraged him to try MDMA, and that proved to be successful for the actor.
“I had never done drugs but I was truly, like, ‘Well, I might kill myself tomorrow, what do I have to lose?’ So, I did it. I swear to God, the biggest light bulb went off, and it rewired my brain in the best way,” he said.
Alan Ritchson attends the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards at Allegiant Stadium on March 07, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
The famous actor was able to improve his mental health without the use of the drug over time and has a renewed outlook on life.
“I came out of that whole thing asking myself, ‘OK if I am going to choose to be alive here — a decision we all make, some to a greater degree than others — what am I doing? Why am I here?’” he said. “What 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.”(RELATED: Sharon Osbourne Opens Up About Attempting Suicide)
“Being bipolar has wreaked havoc on my life many, many times. I would wish it away if I could,” he said. “Mental health is an everyday conversation for me.”