Facing a barrage of abuse on a regular basis, Terry Perry considered suicide a number of times. As a 2013 study highlights, suicidal ideation is prevalent among child abuse survivors. As Perry explained to Oprah, the relentless abuse left him wondering what the point of being alive was. However, it was his love for his mother and devout faith that got him through those darkest moments. "My mother was truly my saving grace... I would see my mother smiling in the choir, and I wanted to know this God that made her so happy. If I had not had that faith in my life, I don't know where I would be right now," he acknowledged.
One of the most difficult aspects of surviving abuse, he told Oprah, was having his life dictated by triggers, which he likened to "a string to the puppet master" who is "holding you hostage to your behaviors." Eventually, he was able to break away from the triggers by acknowledging that, while the abuse was significant, it did not define him.
Subsequently, having come out through the darkness, Perry wants to reassure others with suicidal ideation that things can get better. "I tell people, if you're thinking about suicide, all that stuff, I've attempted and thought about it," he told Ebony (via CNN). "If you think about it, life gets better... Just keep moving."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
