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MORE ON:#ASHLEYJUDD
- #WynonnaJudd on ‘the pain’ of losing mom Naomi: ‘I feel so helpless’
- #NaomiJudd memorial performances: ‘The show must go on’ for Wynonna
- #AshleyJudd: I have ‘trauma from discovering’ my mom Naomi after she shot herself
- #NaomiJudd’s public memorial to air live with Wynonna and Ashley
#AshleyJudd got candid about her mother Naomi Judd’s recent #suicide and how she’s trying to heal from the pain.
The “Divergent” star, 54, spoke with grief expert David Kessler on his “Healing” podcast Tuesday about her #mentalhealth and how she can “understand” what her mom went through.
“I look back on my #childhood and I realize I grew up with a mom who had an undiagnosed and untreated #mentalillness,” Judd said. “And there are different #behavioral expressions, interactions, flights of fancy, choices that she made that I understand were an expression of the disease.”
Judd added that she knows “that she was in pain and can today understand that she was absolutely doing the best she could.”
“If she could have done it differently, she would have,” the actress noted.
She also explained how she knew she “didn’t cause” her mother’s sickness, and she “couldn’t control it” but also “couldn’t cure it.”
Naomi died on April 30 at the age of 76 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after years of battling #mentalhealthissues.
“My most ardent wish for my mother is that when she transitioned, she was hopefully able to let go of any guilt or shame that she carried for any shortcomings she may have had in her parenting of my sister and me,” the “Heat” star said. “Because certainly on my end, all was forgiven long ago, all was forgiven long ago.”
Judd’s sister, Wynonna, 58, opened up in an emotional #Instagram post in May about the “pain” of losing the country music icon.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:
From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
“There is so much happening in the world right now. So before I sat down to write this, I thought, ‘No…I just don’t know what to say.’ Then, I heard the words from my life coach asking me, ‘What do you know?’ And I began to cry,” Wynonna penned.
“WHAT DO I KNOW?? I DO know, that the pain of losing Mom on 4/30 to #suicide is so great, that I often feel like I’m not ever going to be able to fully accept and surrender to the truth that she left the way she did. This cannot be how The Judds story ends.”
Wynonna also announced that she will continue the 11-date national tour she previously had scheduled with her mom before her untimely death.
She added: “I DO know, that in order to be a healthier grandparent to my firstborn grandchild Kaliyah, {born 4/13, 2 weeks & 2 days before Mom left}, to break the cycle of addiction & family dysfunction, that I must continue to show up for myself {first} and do the personal healing work.”
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
