Tyler Perry Reveals He Attempted To Take His Own Life More Than Once. Now He’s The ‘Happiest [He’s] Ever Been.’ Here’s How You Can Take Care Of Your Mental Health.

“Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him,” his wife, Allison Holker, said. “He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.

“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. I am certain there won't be a day that goes by that we won't honor his memory.”

When addressing the tragedy, Perry echoed the overwhelmingly positive remarks being made in memory of the beloved TV personality.

"I've only met him a couple of times and he was always full of life, and seemed like such a light," Perry said of Boss.

Then, in an embrace of vulnerability, Perry shared that he, too, has struggled with suicidal thoughts. He even said he attempted suicide "a couple of times."

"I didn't think it would get any better," he said. "I had endured so much pain, so much abuse sexual abuse. It was all so hard to just move through that I thought the only way to make this better, to make this pain go away is to end my life.

"Had any of those attempts happened, I would've missed the best part of my life.”

Perry is urging others to seek help if they are going through a rough time.

"Think about what the other side could be," he said. "It could be amazing.

"And you could miss the best part of it going through the darkness. Don't let the darkness stop you from getting to this incredible place of light."

Adding that he is the "happiest [he’s] ever been," Perry wants others to experience the “joy” to be found after navigating a hard mental health battle.

"I'm a living witness, you can make it through it," he said. "And I'm so glad my attempts didn't work."

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800 273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, but it’s not always easy. One place to start is to be aware of the following signs that there may be something affecting your mind:

• A change in eating or sleeping habits
• Losing interest in people or usual activities
• Experiencing little or no energy
• Numb and/or hopeless feelings
• Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual
• Non-typical angry, upset or on-edge feelings
• Yelling/fighting with loved ones
• Experiencing mood swings
• Intrusive thoughts
• Trouble getting through daily tasks

Symptoms of a mental health disease or issue can vary from person to person, so it's always crucial to promptly speak with a healthcare provider if you're experiencing any changes to your physical or mental health. There are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.

How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term

One such option is therapy. In a previous conversation with SurvivorNet, ovarian cancer survivor Ni Guttenfelder talked about how finding the right counselor helped her process the feelings that came after her diagnosis.

"One of the things that my counselor has taught me from the very beginning that has helped me is the concept of acceptance," she says. "Acceptance is a process. It's like downloading a computer file in increments. Visualizing it in that way has really helped me."

Ovarian Cancer Survivor Stresses the Importance of Finding the Right Counselor to Support You Through Your Journey

In addition to therapy, meditation and practicing mindfulness can also be used to cope with a mental health struggle. Dr. Deepak Chopra, acclaimed author and pioneer of mindfulness movement, spoke with SurvivorNet about how asking yourself who you really are is the first step down the path to practicing mindfulness.

"If we can combine our actions in the world with reflective self inquiry, love and compassion, and a state of secure, stable, ornamental, peaceful being without the addictions that humans have, then we can begin our journey of healing," Dr. Chopra explained.

Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Maryland, takes SurvivorNet through a guided meditation

Medicating isn't the right choice for everyone when it comes to addressing a mental health issue, but there should be no shame in turning to medication when you need it. That being said, it can be hard to find the right one. These days, however, there is a form of genetic testing that has shown the ability to match people with the best medication for mental health treatment.

We've seen genetic testing used for treatment plans for other diseases, such as certain types of cancer, but the ability to use it to help people who are suffering from things like anxiety and depression is relatively new.

How Can Genetic Testing Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment?

"Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology," psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet. "It's something that I highly recommend for anybody that is taking medication, whether they are being treated for cancer, or not … I recommend it for children who are taking medication. I recommend it for elderly people. Anybody who is taking medication, I think, can greatly benefit from genetic testing."

Genetic testing can give a profile of how a person is likely to respond to different types of psychiatric medications, Dr. Plutchik explained. Testing is also available to create a profile of how patients will likely respond to different sorts of pain medications, which can be really beneficial for those going through some other sort of health issue.

Genetic testing "gives me information about which medications are likely to work without having problematic side effects. It also gives information about interactions between any of the psych medications that we choose," and other medications a patient may be taking, Dr. Plutchik said.

The genetic test that Dr. Plutchik was discussing, Genomind, looks at multiple factors before determining which treatment is likely to have successful results and minimal side-effects. The test examines certain genes that are associated with responses to medications commonly prescribed for mental health issues and then looks into the patient's ability to metabolize medication.

If you're considering going on medication for mental health treatment, consider asking your doctor if genetic testing might be helpful for you.

Contributing: Dr. Lori Plutchik

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