“She lived most of her life with an untreated and undiagnosed mental illness that lied to her and stole from her, and it stole from our family, and she deserved better,” the actress said of the late country singer, who committed herself in April 2022. “She deserved better,” the actress concluded.
This is the first time that Ashley Judd has spoken publicly about her mother Naomi’s struggle with mental illness, which occurred almost two years after the devastating death of the country singer by suicide.
During her speech at the White House on Tuesday, the actress detailed her late mother’s lifelong struggles with mental health. She stated that Naomi’s “untreated and undiagnosed” mental illness “stole from her” and their family. The speech was given in conjunction with the launch of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention plan by the Biden Administration.
“I’m here because I am my beloved mother’s daughter and on the day she passed, which will be the two-year anniversary in one week, the disease of mental illness was lying to her, and with great terror, convinced her that it would never get better,” according to Ashley, 56 years old.
After reviewing her mother’s remarkable life, which included leaving “country music better than she found it,” Ashley stated that despite Naomi’s success and accomplishments, “she lived most of her life with an untreated and undiagnosed mental illness that lied to her and stole from her, and it stole from our family, and she deserved better.” Ashley’s statement was made after she had reflected on her mother’s life.
Ashley then proceeded to engage in an open and honest discussion on her own difficulties with mental health, which she said were the result of a challenging upbringing.
“I was molested by a man for the first time that I remember when I was seven years old,” according to her story, “and that’s when I had onset of childhood depression, and I know the feeling of not wanting to be here, but I had a different experience because I went to treatment in 2006 for unresolved grief and sexual trauma.”
“I’ve been in good recovery for 18 years and I’ve had a different outcome than my mother,” she said in her statement. “I carry a message of hope and recovery.”
A number of images from Ashley’s presence at the White House event were uploaded to her Instagram Stories. One of these posts was a picture of her holding up a placard that included information about the launch.
“Today, the Biden Administration unveiled the new National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and the first ever Federal Action Plan,” she wrote in the caption of the photograph.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is a “ten-year, comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention and provides concrete recommendations for addressing gaps in the suicide prevention field.” This strategy has not been updated “in over a decade,” as stated by the SAMHSA.
“This coordinated and comprehensive approach to suicide prevention at the national, state, tribal, local, and territorial levels relies upon critical partnerships across the public and private sectors,” according to SAMHSA officials. “People with lived experience are critical to the success of this work.”
The implementation strategy “identifies more than 200 actions across the Federal government to be taken over the next three years in support of those goals.”
In the month of April 2022, Naomi Judd passed away at the age of 76. “Today, we sisters experienced a tragedy,” Ashley and Wynonna said on Instagram, which was the platform via which they conveyed the news. We are heartbroken at the loss of our lovely mother, who suffered from a mental condition.
“We are completely broken. Although we are going through a period of tremendous sadness, we are aware that she was loved by her audience just as much as we loved her. We are about to enter uncharted land.
In November, Ashley Cooper and Anderson Cooper discussed the challenges they had in dealing with the devastating loss of loved ones who had taken their own lives. The conversation took place during an appearance on the podcast featuring Anderson Cooper. It was in 1998 that Cooper’s brother, Carter, passed away.
“My mother’s loss was traumatic and unexpected, because it was loss by suicide, and I found her,” said Ashley in her statement. “The manner in which she passed away, as well as the fact that I discovered her, caused my sadness to be in sync with the trauma that I experienced. “As my mother was passing away, I was holding her, and there was blood. I just needed to process the fact that I was with my mother’s blood,” I said.
“I’m so glad I was there because even when I walked in that room, and I saw that she had harmed herself, the first thing out of my mouth was, ‘Mama, I see how much you’ve been suffering,'” she proceeded to explain. It is safe to leave at this time. It is in order to leave. I am with you. You are free to let go of it. You are my love.'”
Ashley went on to say that she then climbed into bed with her mother and hugged her. “I told them, ‘Let it all go with it. Be at liberty…? Long ago, everything was forgiven. It is everything to be left here. Do not bring anything with you. Just let yourself go,'”
If you or someone you know is battling with depression or has had thoughts of hurting themselves or ending their own life, it is important that you get assistance without delay. Just call 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which offers free and confidential help around the clock for anyone who are experiencing emotional distress.