How Mandisa Overcame Depression and Thoughts of Suicide

We love Mandisa and how infectiously happy she is–in both her songs and in person. But what a lot of people don't know is that her song "Overcomer" began a downward spiral into a deep depression that even led to thoughts of taking her own life. [fluidvideo url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/auiaLBFKBRw?rel=0"] Overcomer was inspired by Mandisa's friend Kisha who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Kisha lost her battle and went to be with Jesus which hit Mandisa hard:

"It shook the foundation underneath me in a way that I was not ready for and really did not expect. And so for 3 years....I was in a deep pit of despair."

For those 3 years, Mandisa barely left her house and dealt with dark thoughts and lies that satan tried to tell her about committing suicide.

"The enemy  wanted me to take my life right then....and if I continued on that path, I would not be sitting here today."

While she was in that pit, her friends desperately tried to intervene. They would pound on her door, but she would just go upstairs and put headphones in. Finally they got through to her when they camped outside a movie theater she was in. They had put sticky notes all over her car with messages of love and held an intervention for her:

"Essentially, their message was, 'We love you just as you are, but we love you too much to leave you there.' They forced me to get counseling--I was not happy....but I did go and get some counseling, and that helped me to finally deal with the grief that I had been shoving down."

[tweetthis].@mandisaofficial 's friends: "We love you just as you are, but we love you too much to leave you there."[/tweetthis] We're so thankful for Mandisa and that she shared her story of depression with us and in her new music! [fluidvideo url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ejycllx5iwA"]