KUALA LUMPUR: Singer Zamani Ibrahim has revealed that he once popped 20 pain relief tablets while undergoing the darkest period in his life.
"I'm sharing this in the hope that it would help anyone going through a similar experience to avoid doing the same.
"Many of us have a past which we aren't proud of.
"As for me, I felt like I had come to the end of the road, like there was no more reasons for me to keep living," the 52-year-old singer was quoted in a Harian Metro report today.
He added that at the time, it never rained, but poured.
"I was going through a rough period in my career, my mother had just passed on, my car was stolen and so on.
"So I couldn't think straight. I wondered if I should just slit my wrist.
"Thinking back, I'm grateful (to God) for giving me a second chance.
"I know I should repent for having been so thoughtless so as to do it (trying to overdose with tablets)," he said.
He said upon realising his mistake, he analysed what had gone wrong in his life and slowly tried to deal with his problems.
"Praise be to God, I managed it slowly and my career picked up again. The key was to keep the faith."
If you are feeling depressed or stressed, know that help is available. All you have to do is reach out. The Befrienders is an example of a place you can call if you have suicidal thoughts or feeling overwhelmed. They provide emotional support 24/7. For more info, visit www.befrienders.org.my or contact 03-76272929.
You can also contact Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7), BuddyBear Helpline at 1800-18-2327 (BEAR) (daily 12pm to 12am), Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association (MIASA) at 1-800-820 066 (24/7), and the Health Ministry - Mercy Malaysia Psychosocial Support Helpline at 03-2935 9935.