We’ve all heard the news about Kanye West lately, but have we stopped to think about multiple perspectives of his episodes?

Kanye’s friends and family have admitted that he’s endured mental crisis lately. They’ve even gone so far as to label them “bi-polar episodes.”

Since I am not a medical professional, I don’t think it’s fair for me to try and “diagnose” Kanye and pretend that I know exactly what he’s going through. However, I do know what it’s like to be in a state of mental crisis – and pray for a way out.

In fact, what sobered (and downright scared me) was the effect that my suicidal ideation had on my loved ones. I hated seeing them sad and hurt and confused because I wasn’t myself. It hurt them to see that I wanted to die. That prospect really did scare them.

So, when I heard about Kanye and saw Kim’s reaction to his tweets, I knew it was time to talk about how mental crisis can affect our loved ones.

Ready for my thoughts? Take a listen to this week’s edition of Very Vogue with Val Kleinhans!