'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan comes clean about 2010 suicide attempt

Cesar Millan, while being an expert on dog psychology, had to dig a little deeper in recent years to deal with his own battle against depression and prescription drug abuse. In May 2010, Millan resorted to a suicide attempt as a result of his ongoing fight with depression. The animal expert had been taking antidepressants to deal with the recent death of his pit-bull “Daddy” as well as the looming divorce from his wife of 16 years. He succumbed to the stress and pressure of these events and attempted suicide through overdose. He has since opened up about this event and has even discussed his depression with fans on his website.

"I have always been honest with my fans, which means being open about any struggles I have had along the way," says Millan. "It was important for me to explain all the aspects that have led to my new chapter. Although it was a dark moment for me, it showed me that I still needed to be here and I have a lot more to do." 

Millan says his journey to recovery was aided greatly by two things: exercise and work. He began to work out his problems at the gym, losing 25 pounds in two weeks. He threw himself into his work, retreating to his Dog Psychology Centre and began developing a documentary on his life as well as a brand new season of “Dog Whisperer”.

Millan’s documentary, “Cesar Millan: The Real Story”, will premiere on Sunday November 25^th on Nat Geo WILD and will go into detail about Millan’s rise to fame, from poverty to pack leader, as well as his personal and family struggles along the way.

Millan continues to encourage pet owners to become the Pack Leaders in their own lives, and is setting the example himself through both personal and professional triumphs. With new shows on the way and he is more positive and happy than ever, and has admitted that he plans to propose to partner Jahira Dar soon.

“My life and career have made for a remarkable journey,” says Cesar. “It is very rewarding to look back at where I began and to see how far I have been able to come. I feel like this is only the beginning!”.