New details of Jas Waters’ troubled life have been revealed.
It’s been a week since the This Is Us writer took her own life in what the Los Angeles County Coroner ruled as a suicide by hanging. She was 39 years old.
In the time that’s passed, more devastating aspects of Waters’ life have come to light, including a decades-long struggle with mental health issues and a troubled upbringing. According to the Daily Mail, Waters had battled with depression for 20 years and allegedly attempted to overdose on pills at the age of 21.
The outlet drew these revelations from an August 2014 blog post on her website, JasFly.com, in which Waters revealed being diagnosed with depression when she was 19. Two years after, she ingested an entire bottle of Tylenol PM to “break through this overwhelmingly thick barrier of hopelessness.”
"I was first diagnosed with depression at 19. I'd stumbled through a pretty rocky childhood and eventually two years later, it all caught up with me one night when I just didn't think I could stomach another day of intense sadness," she recalled at the time. "I swallowed a bottle of Tylenol PM. Now, did I want to die? Not really. But that was the only way I could break through this overwhelmingly thick barrier of hopelessness that stood between myself and everyone else."
Leading up to her death, it appeared the Kidding writer’s torment only intensified during her time in isolation due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. When loneliness took a toll, Jas often looked to social media as an outlet.
“I’m tired of sheltering in place with my anxiety. Most days is nearly debilitating. Hence, the cooking simply for the calm it brings. So if you’re struggling just to keep the fear of the unknown in check, know that you’re not alone. I’m with you,” she tweeted on April 24.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jas’ father, Joseph, admitted his daughter had struggled with social isolation for months but doesn't believe that is why she took her life.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Photo: Twitter/Jas Waters