Father Discusses Finding Out He Was Going To Be A Dad Days After His Suicide Attempt

It's not every day we hear men, fathers in particular, speak out about battling with depression.

Just a year ago, a man named Caolán Doherty was having a hard time. In fact, Doherty was in such a dark place that he attempted to take his life.

"A year ago tonight at around 2 a.m. I tried to kill myself, I had enough after struggling year after year with the black fog that is depression. Thankfully I was unsuccessful," his Facebook post began. His words are shared alongside an image of himself holding his infant son. The two are wearing matching long-sleeved tees.

"[Fifteen] days later me and my girlfriend found out that she was 3 weeks pregnant. 7 months later we had a son who is a week shy of 5 months," he continued. "If I had of been successful in taking my life then basically I would be airbrushed out of this photo, I wouldn't exist. I would have missed out on the best thing that has ever happened to me. That absolutely terrifies me to think about."

Doherty then delved into another crucial facet of dealing with mental illness: He explained that healing is a continuous process. "While I'm not going to lie there has been dark days since and I'll always have to face this illness on a daily basis, it's worth facing, it's worth dealing with & most importantly it's worth talking about," he said.

The message has been shared more than 11,000 times and liked 62,000 times. Check out Doherty's message in its entirety, here.

If you are thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Crisis Line at 1-800-784-2433.

If you or someone you know is considering self-harm, please get help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.