Gabrielle Union appeared on fellow actress Gwyneth Paltrow‘s wellness summit to discuss her mental health challenges throughout her life.
During a one-on-one with Paltrow at the “In Goop Health” virtual event, Union revealed that she recently had a bout with suicidal ideations, according to an E News report.
Union, 48, spoke about dealing with perimenopause, which marks a woman’s transition into menopause and the end of her reproductive ability. Union was first diagnosed with it in her 30s.
While the Mayo Clinic medical center says that most women experience perimenopause in their 40s, there have been cases of women getting it sooner.
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While she’s had to deal with the condition for years, Union said symptoms reached a “fever pitch” in 2020. Some signs of perimenopause are mood changes and increased risk of depression.
“I’ve had more depressive episodes, but never for long periods of time. Maybe a couple of weeks,” the Being Mary Jane actress said.
But just this past December, that depression reached a low point. Union disclosed that she had suicidal ideations during an innocuous argument with her husband, retired NBA superstar Dwayne Wade.
“I fell into something so dark in December that it scared me. I had a stupid argument with D, and instead of my usual problem-solving … immediately, my brain, that little inner voice said, ‘He’s never going to get it unless you’re dead,'” said Union, as reported by the entertainment news outlet.
Union, who has been battling mental health issues for most of her adult life, was able to navigate out of these thoughts thanks to treatment.
“Only because I’ve been in therapy for half my life that I was like, ‘No, I don’t know who is talking now, it’s not my intuition,'” she was reported saying.
Union spoke of her battles with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the summit, which she said stemmed from being raped at work as a teenager.
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“I’ve had so many rock bottom moments as an adult, starting with being raped at 19 at gunpoint at my job,” Union said in the conversation. “It just felt like every so many years there was some major catastrophic event that was happening in my life. You know, divorce, career setbacks, relationship issues. There’s always something that just lands you on your ass and you’re like ‘There’s no way I can move on from this, I’ll never recover, I’ll never be the same.'”
After her December suicidal ideation, she understood the steps she had to take in the moment.
“I was able to get through it with talk therapy and diving into how I can regulate my hormones,” Gabrielle shared. “Luckily, I was at home and I alerted everyone.”
Fortunately, Union said that the ideation was “fleeting.”
Union also has other methods of regulating her mental health.
She told Women’s Health magazine in November that morning meditation with Wade has worked well for her.
“It’s something that we actually do individually every morning to start our day,” Union said. “It’s just a perfect way to calm yourself so you can be everything to everyone.”
As she navigates her own journey, Union continues to be an advocate for mental health for others.
“Health and wellness are global needs and desires,” she said. “It really does take all of us wanting those kind of diverse voices, leaders, and businesses to be a part of this movement.”
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