Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide: A Memoir - Paperback

by Darryl DMC McDaniels (Author), Darrell Dawsey (Author)

In this surprising and moving memoir, the legendary rap star and cofounder of Run D.M.C. keeps it a hundred percent, speaking out about his battle with depression and overcoming suicidal thoughts--one of the most devastating yet little known health issues plaguing the black community today.

As one third of the legendary rap group Run D.M.C., Darryl "DMC" McDaniels--aka Legendary MC, The Devastating Mic Controller, and the King of Rock--had it all: talent, money, fame, prestige. While hitting #1 on the Billboard charts was exhilarating, the group's success soon became overwhelming. A creative guy who enjoyed being at home alone or with his family, DMC turned to alcohol to numb himself, a retreat that became an addiction. For years, he went through the motions. But in 1997, when intoxication could no longer keep the pain at bay, he plunged into severe depression and became suicidal. He wasn't alone. During the same period, suicide became the number three leading cause of death among black people--a health crisis that continues to this day.

In this riveting memoir, DMC speaks openly about his emotional and psychological struggles and the impact on his life, and addresses the many reasons that led him--and thousands of others--to consider suicide. Some of the factors include not being true to who you are, feelings of loneliness, isolation, and alienation, and a lack of understanding and support from friends and family when it's needed most. He also provides essential information on resources for getting help. Revealing how even the most successful people can suffer from depression, DMC offers inspiration for everyone in pain--information and insight that he hopes can help save other lives.

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In this surprising and moving memoir, the legendary rapper and cofounder of Run-DMC speaks out as never before about his battles with depression and overcoming thoughts of suicide.

As one of the founding members of the celebrated and influential rap group Run-DMC, Darryl DMC McDaniels seemed to have it all: talent, money, fame, prestige. Yet while his music was hitting number one on the Billboard charts, a feat most musicians only dream of, McDaniels's achievements were shrouded by his private struggles with alcohol and an anxiety fueled by the need to please others.

As Run-DMC's success grew, overwhelming McDaniels all the more, his relationship with alcohol shifted: from being a crutch that helped him perform to a means of escape from a life that had become unbearable. McDaniels was forced to make an abrupt lifestyle change when he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and his doctor told him flatly, "You drink, you die." It was at this crossroad that the famed rapper finally chose life. In his quest to recover, he found what he'd been desperate for--a love, for his future wife, and, at long last, for himself.

Throughout this riveting account, McDaniels speaks openly about his emotional and psychological struggles: feelings of isolation, loneliness, and of not being true to oneself. In recounting his own story, he shares essential information on how to seek help and find meaning during life's challenging times. An absorbing look at how inner suffering can plague even the most successful of individuals, Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide offers inspiration and insight and a path toward the contentment McDaniels himself fought so hard to obtain.