

Jada Pinkett Smith On Contemplating Suicide At 20: “I Had A Complete Emotional Collapse”
The latest episode of Red Table Talk brought forth a topic that many of us experience and even more of us shy away from talking about: wanting to take our own lives.
The eye-opening episode featured rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor Kid Cudi, who is beloved by many of his millennial fans for his transparency about battling mental health, substance abuse, and sharing an undertone of resilience and encouragement in his music.
Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations are parts of life that many people choose to hide from the public with fear of being misunderstood or categorized as mentally unstable. However, Jada Pinkett Smith shared that the experience crept on her while at the height of her then young career:
"I had an emotional breakdown that definitely, I feel like affected my mental stability. I had gotten to LA and gotten a certain amount of success and realized that that wasn't the answer. It wasn't what was going to make everything okay. [It] actually made this worse. I was extremely suicidal, I had a complete emotional collapse...I was 20."
Adrienne Banfield-Jones also gave her account of the ordeal, explaining how confusing of a time it was for her as Jada's mother, desperately wanting to help but not having the tools to do so.
Thankfully, they had access to mental health professionals that were able to keep Jada afloat as she navigated the wellness world in search for her best source of comfort that was once sex and alcohol. Jada went on to explain that like many of us, she thought the success of her career would be the solution to her lifelong battles:
"I don't know why I felt like for some reason when I became successful, I would kind of be exempt from [it]... I was in an environment for such a long time, I got stuck in a mentality that even with success it was very hard for me to get out of."
Kid Cudi chimed in with his experiences of dealing with high expectations and wanting to portray the person that everyone thought he was as an artist, despite his personal struggles. He explains that he hid his cocaine and alcohol addiction in order to keep up his image, however, the omission was of no avail:
"That's when all the bad stuff came in because I feel like I had to live up to being 'this person' and I don't feel like that. It's like doing a comedy when you're miserable. It was like my life was like a show and I was always supposed to be on, but when the show was over I was completely miserable. For a long time, I was not happy when I woke up in the morning. It started with something as simple as that. Just being like, 'Why don't I feel okay?' I thought maybe it was stress."
Anyone who suffers from mental health issues, or as Willow lovingly describes as "emotional illness," could tell you that often an onset of symptoms is not as blatant as described in antidepressant commercials.
You notice it as you struggle to get up for work, but write it off as a lack of sleep. You write off your dissatisfaction with life as a testament to how much you hate your job. But these feelings can sometimes trickle into a stirring pot that overflows, leaving you overwhelmed, desperate for an escape by any means including addiction, and suicide.
Red Table Talk
As Iyanla Vanzant often exclaims, "You don't want to die, you just want to stop hurting." And there is no shame in that. There are many ways to rid yourself of that pain, but it has no shortcuts and is going to take a lot of work and faith in your loved ones and people who are here to help you. I hope that those of us venturing off into "the most wonderful time of the year" with heavy hearts and tired souls find solace in knowing that you are not alone in this. As Jada says:
"Testimony is so much more powerful than just advice. Just for people to know that they are not alone."
Watch latest episode of Red Table Talkbelow.
Don't suffer in silence, confidential help is available for free.
Featured image by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
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New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. She loves using beauty, and fashion to create a balanced lifestyle while prioritizing wellness. A devoted fur mom, and a full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit! Connect with her via IG @iamzaniah and please visit Zaniahsworld.com
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.