Alan Ritchson opens up about his ongoing battle with bipolar disorder and ADHD, a suicide attempt that he attributes to the support of his children, and his experience as a survivor of sexual assault.
The actor, who has been in episodes of Smallville, Black Mirror, Blue Mountain State, and Prime Video's 'The Reacher,' said to the Hollywood Reporter in a piece that was released on Wednesday that "I hung myself."
Alan Ritchson Opens Up About Mental Health
Alan Ritchson recently shared his story of overcoming mental illness, experiencing sexual assault, and coming dangerously close to death.
The 41-year-old talked candidly about his horrific experiences as well as his path to recovery and purpose-finding in an emotional discussion.
Ritchson talked about the horrible event that nearly drove him to commit suicide. "I hung myself. It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there," he said.
But in a moment of supernatural intervention, Ritchson saw a vision of his three kids, who were then eight, ten, and eleven years old, respectively Calem, Edan, and Amory urging him to think twice.
He realized how important it is to be there in his children's life when he saw them as adults in their mid-30s. "They calmly asked me not to do it, and told me that they wanted me to be here, alive and part of their lives," he added.
An important turning point in Ritchson's life was the suicide attempt. He sought help right away following the occurrence and, at the age of 36, was given a bipolar illness diagnosis.
He found out he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a few years later. His troubles were clarified by these diagnoses, and it was consoling to know that his condition had a name.
But Ritchson's issues with mental health might be linked to the modeling profession, which he said served as a refuge for sexual assault.
"There are very few redeeming qualities to working in [the modeling] industry. To be honest, it resembles sanctioned human trafficking," he said in reference to the profession itself, according to Page Six.
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Alan Ritchson Triumphs Over Trauma
He revealed many experiences of being sexually abused and used, and he disclosed that he had permanently left the modeling industry following a terrible event in which he was sexually attacked by a well-known photographer..
Transitioning into the television and film industry didn't bring an end to the challenges. Ritchson shared another distressing experience in which his business partner threatened him with ruin if he did not engage in a sexual relationship with her. The pressure and emotional toll caused him to sink into deep depression. "It really broke me in that moment, and it took me a while to recover," he admitted.
Ritchson found comfort in an uncommon treatment suggested by a friend: MDMA therapy. Despite his initial doubts, he made the decision to give it an attempt because he had nothing to lose. His brain was rewired by the life-changing occurrence, which facilitated his recuperation. After considering his trip, Ritchson feels that serving people and improving the world is his mission.
Following his pursuit of more rewarding possibilities, his resilience and clarity helped him land a role in the recently released television series Reacher, which is based on the well-known Jack Reacher novels.
When the program debuted in February 2022, it quickly gained popularity, topping Amazon Prime Video's streaming rankings and setting records for the most amount of time watched. After the difficulties he faced in his early career, Reacher's success provided Ritchson with the needed validation, Daily Mail reported.
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