Ryan Guzman Reveals P.a.st S.u.i.c.i.d.e Attempt After Suffering from a ‘Mental Health Crisis’ (Exclusive)

“Luckily I got a second chance,” the actor said

Ryan Guzman revealed that he once attempted to take his own life after suffering from a “mental health crisis.”

In PEOPLE’s exclusive clip from the May 21 episode of Tommy DiDario’s I’ve Never Said This Before podcast, the 9-1-1 actor admitted that his attempt happened years ago but he’s been hesitant to publicly share his story.

“About six and a half, seven years ago… I tried, at one point in time, to take my own life,” the 36-year-old said. “Luckily it didn’t work. Luckily I got a second chance, by the grace of God.”

“From that moment forward, I’ve taken each step as an opportunity to erase what got me there and build on what allowed me to live for,” he added.

Guzman said that his suicide attempt and the death of his longtime friend Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who died by suicide at age 40 in December 2022, were life-changing — and they ultimately shifted his perspective.

“That moment itself, in addition to what happened to my brother tWitch, are probably the two biggest fundamental moments of my entire life and have allowed me to have a deeper sense of mercy and empathy towards every individual,” he explained.

“So I would implore that all men renounce this fact of ‘You’re a tough man, you have to hold all this in,’ but lean on your brother. Really lean on your brother and if your brothers aren’t being there in the way they need to be, find some new ones,” he continued. “If you don’t have the people that are conducive to a healthy lifestyle, you’re keeping on to them because of loyalty, let them go. There’s plenty other people. There’s people that have been through your situation before and are more than willing to help.”

Guzman said on the show that he’d love to do more for mental health awareness, especially for men. He said he hopes there is a “new wave” taking over where people are able to have “true connections” with people.

Although he’s kept a lot of his mental health struggles private, Guzman briefly mentioned suffering from depression on social media in May 2020 while responding to a fan who said they were going through a difficult time.

“I’ve dealt with depression for years now,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I’ve found that the unavoidable battles of negativity can only be ‘beat’ by keepin the mind busy on tasks that allow negativity to flow through you, rather than sittin in it. The battles can be won but the war is endless.”