Oprah Winfrey seems to be on a roll this months via confessional interviews. First, she revealed her 30-lb. mac and cheese binge after the failure of Beloved, and now she drops another bombshell…she contemplated suicide at the age of 14!
In an exclusive CNN interview with former America’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, the daytime television queen confessed that as a teen, she secretly got pregnant and considered suicide because of her family’s disapproval. Despite those thoughts, she never came close to it, but instead displayed erratic behavior to get attention. Says Winfrey: “I did stupid things like drinking detergent and all that kind of crazy stuff that you do…to cry out for help.”
Oprah’s teenage life was a jumble of bad choices, boundless attitude and sexual abuse. Having a strict father didn’t help her situation either; in fact, her father once mentioned how he’d rather see his daughter “floating in the Cumberland River” than to have a child out of wedlock! I can only imagine what she could have felt, knowing that not only would her future be compromised, but her family would totally disown her. The stress of carrying a child and trying to constantly hide it can really take a toll on your emotional, let alone physical health.
In the end, Oprah lost the baby when in the hospital and viewed it as a second chance at life. “I had no connection to that baby. I felt nothing because I felt before that baby was born I was going to have to kill myself.” Now let me ask this: does this make Oprah a bad person? NO, IT DOESN’T; there are many teenage girls who become pregnant and regret the choice they made to have sex. This is completely normal; we have to remember that Oprah wasn’t born as the most powerful woman in TV, she was born human. We’ve all done things, or made decisions we aren’t proud of. The only difference between Oprah and the rest of us is that her confession is worldwide, therefore liable to be judged.
All thoughts aside, imagine how therapeutic that must have been, not only for her, but for countless women nationwide who struggled with teenage pregnancy, whether they kept or lost their baby. Oprah’s introspect opened a new pathway of strength that’s sure to gain momentum, and that’s nothing she should be ashamed of!
Even celebrities and esteemed individuals go through periods of depression, anxiety, or other mental issues. The comfort in knowing a problem exists and can be fixed comes from checking your mental status. Try taking the Dr. Owens Mental Health Prescreen Assessment and start feeling better right now!
