Kirk Douglas Revealed He Once Almost Attempted Suicide After Suffering A Stroke. What Stopped Him?
LIFESTYLE
Kirk Douglas Revealed He Once Almost Attempted Suicide After Suffering A Stroke. What Stopped Him?
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In 1996, the legendary actor Kirk Douglas suffered a devastating stroke that left him speech-impaired, and it seemed as if his life was over.
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For a man whose entire career was based on performing, such a diagnosis was earth-shattering, and he was left completely hopeless.
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We now know he was able to overcome that terrible tragedy, and even starred in several movies after, but his road to recovery was filled with desperation and fear.
On the brink of suicide
In 2014, Kirk Douglas gave a shocking interview to Parade, in which he revealed how close he was to taking his own life after realizing he might not be able to talk anymore.
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Actor fell into depression as he couldn’t shake off the thought that an actor is no good without his ability to speak.
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So what saved Douglas?
According to him, it was humor:
Humor saved me. At first, I thought my life was at an end. But when I put the gun in my mouth, it hit a tooth. Ow! And that struck me funny. A toothache was stopping me from committing suicide? Funny! And it made me stop.
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It’s terrifying to think how close Douglas was to taking his own life, but we’re so happy his sense of humor was big enough to save him.
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Kirk also credits his wife with helping him overcome his condition. She never treated him like a sick person, and continued to make him laugh even at his worst.
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What helped him recover?
Douglas said he turned to exercise, and even had his wife join him. He started to lead an active lifestyle, as much as he could, and by building a stronger body, he also found a peace of mind.
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Kirk Douglas believes that strong spirit and hard work can overcome anything, and he proved it with his own example.
