TikTok Star Jaden Hossler Reveals New Song ‘Pray’ Was Influenced by Passive Suicidal Thoughts
Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
What happened: Jaden Hossler is opening up about life with depression and suicidal thoughts. In a recent interview with Radio.com, the TikTok star and performer — known as jxdn — shared his latest single, “Pray,” is about his ongoing mental health struggles.
“[‘Pray’ is] without a doubt the realest and most prominent song [I’ve made about my suicidal thoughts]”, Hossler, 19, said. “It’s just something that people struggle with daily, talking about depression.”
“I just want people to understand that everyone goes through it, and we need to stop isolating people because either they’re struggling or they don’t know what to do,” Hossler added. “That’s not how you go about it. We’ve got to love people to change.”
[‘Pray’ is] kind of like a prayer that I was calling out before while I was in the depression. I would pray to God, ‘let me die in my sleep.’ And coming out of it, there’s hope at the end of the road. — Jaden Hossler
The Frontlines: Millions of Americans live with mental illness, many of whom struggle with suicidal thoughts. According to SAVE, for every completed suicide there are 25 other attempts. However, countless people experience passive suicidal thoughts, like Hossler described. So what’s the difference?
- Those who have active suicidal thoughts have considered a plan and may have taken steps toward that plan to die by suicide
- Those who are passively suicidal may wish to die (such as hoping they don’t wake up the next day) but don’t plan to act on the thoughts
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A Mighty Voice: One of our contributors, Ary Grace, revealed just how common and pervasive passive suicidal thoughts can be. “A lot of mornings, I wake up wishing I hadn’t. It’s not early morning blues, it’s a deeply flawed brain chemistry.” You can submit your first-person story, too.
From Our Community:
Other things to know: Passive suicidal thoughts are something we need to talk about more. Read on for more information about the difference between passive and active suicidal thoughts:
- The Difference Between Passive and Active Suicidal Thoughts
- 17 Things People Do When They Are Passively Suicidal
- What It’s Really Like to Be Passively Suicidal
Resources: If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, whether they’re passive or active, know there is help. There is hope. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or test start to 741741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line. You can also call the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) for assistance finding mental health resources in your area.
Header image via Jaden Hossler/Instagram
Kimberly Zapata is a trending news writer for SheKnows. Her work has appeared on numerous sites, including the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Parents, Scary Mommy, Babble, Romper and The Mighty, and when she is not immersed in “all things writing,” she is working on her nonprofit, Greater Than Illness: an organization dedicated to empowering teens and young adults struggling with mental health concerns.
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