Deyjah Harris Speaks About Suicidal Thoughts And Depression

Deyjah Harris is speaking out about mental health issues she’s struggled with in the past and is hoping to inspire others.

In a YouTube video titled “Mental Health Matters: Part I,” T.I. and Tiny Harris’ 18-year-old daughter shared her own story of depression and anxiety.

“Transparently speaking, depression and anxiety is something that I’ve been dealing with since about the age of 11,” she said. “My self-esteem started to become an issue for me in the sixth grade due to bullying. I started to struggle with understanding what it was that I was feeling and I definitely knew that I wasn’t able to express what it was that I was going through.”

She continued: “So, without the proper knowledge and support, I eventually started to turn to self-inflicted coping mechanisms that weren’t too healthy or beneficial to me or my growth.” 

Harris then suggested she had suicidal thoughts in the past before taking the steps to heal. While she wished she could get into more detail around her personal struggles with depression, Deyjah says she can’t out of fear people might mishandle her truth.

Via Instagram, Deyjah Harris explained why she wanted to make a video about mental health.

“No matter what challenges you deal with, no matter where you are with your recovery, no matter how flawed you might be, there is nothing that needs to be added or taken away from who you are as a person,” she captioned a pic of herself smiling. “You can be happy and prosperous in all aspects of your life and STILL struggle. mental illness doesn’t discriminate. you’ll never be the exception to recovery so just remember to treat yourself warmly. eventually, every experience will get you exactly where you’re destined to be and it’ll all make sense. we’re going to get through this. again, i don’t have all of the answers, i’m simply here to give light to wherever there’s darkness and connect with you all. you are never alone. it’s okay if your strength looks different this season.” 

She continued, “I hope you all learn to embrace everything that comes with you and your being but most of all, as much as some of you might say i inspire you, i hope your own life inspires you. thank you so much to anyone who showed me love and support, it’s more than appreciated.”

Watch the full video below.