Ginger Zee has come out the other side—and is sharing her story to help others in her shoes.
The ABC meteorologist has spent years in front of the camera, but in an Instagram post on Friday, Sept. 11, Zee reflected on something only she could see in herself. Referencing a photo of her younger self smiling in the WEYI-TV newsroom, Zee recalled the painful events that had taken place in her life shortly before the picture was taken.
“This photo always breaks my heart,” she wrote. “This was during my first real job on tv at WEYI. This wide, forced smile was not long after my second suicide attempt.”
She noted, “Of course no one at work knew. I was a master at hiding my mental health issues. Especially from myself.”
In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, Zee candidly reflected on what might have changed the course of her actions. “I often wonder if there is anything I could go back and say to myself the morning I tried to take my own life,” she shared. “I don’t know if I would have been ready to hear it – I don’t know if this message will help — but I feel it is my duty to talk about it — because I was lucky. Beyond the luck, I had the support and financial ability to get the help I needed to treat my mental health issues. Not everyone has that.”