Myth One: What if you stop hiding?

“What if you stop hiding?”

A lightning bolt cut through my darkest night with a revelatory question: "What if you stop hiding?" Instantly, the inner chaos that had consumed me fell silent. I had never entertained such a simple yet revolutionary idea—one that felt both alien and mesmerizingly beautiful. The question seemed to rise from the deepest parts of myself, yet was foreign to my natural thinking. For over a year, I had fixated on suicide as my only escape from depression. In my mind, I had only two options: medication or death. The former was unacceptable; it meant admitting my vulnerabilities and asking for help—something I had been too proud to consider.

Then, on December 18, 1999, amidst the cacophony of a secular rock concert (Phish) in Hampton, VA, I decided to end my life. At that critical moment, I heard a voice many would ascribe to God. Although I was an atheist then and didn't initially attribute the words to a divine source, their impact was nevertheless earth-shattering…