After years of reality TV fame and some very traumatic moments, Kailyn Lowry quit Teen Mom 2.

Kail has been through a great deal in her life, including in recent years.

Recently, an ex-boyfriend of hers died by suicide.

Now, Kailyn is opening up about how this tragedy triggered her own suicidal ideation.

Kailyn Lowry spoke on a recent episode of her Barely Famous podcast.

Teen Mom reunion host Dr. Drew Pinsky was her guest.

There, Kailyn shared that her ex-boyfriend’s death by suicide prompted spiraling thoughts of her own.

Kail did not name the ex-boyfriend in question.

He is likely not a familiar name to viewers, and she certainly wanted to keep it that way.

Instead, Kailyn offered the detail that this dearly departed ex was from high school.

Learning that someone you care about — or cared about — has died is never easy.

But deaths by suicide can be particularly hard, especially for people who struggle with their own mental wellness.

Kail explained that she had increased suicidal thoughts of her own after learning that tragic news.

“I was very conflicted about it,” Kailyn noted on the podcast.

“And,” she admitted, “I couldn’t understand my feelings on why I would think.”

Kail then explained: “I have thought about suicide more since he committed suicide.”

Fortunately, Kailyn has the financial resources to help herself when she is in a crisis.

Not everyone combating suicidal ideation has her options.

Kail then reached out to medical professionals, starting with her therapist.

“And I told my therapist that,” Kailyn said of her suicidal thoughts.

“She said that it can be not actually contagious,” she then noted.

“But it almost opens the door for people who are already, you know, suicidal,” Kail explained.

This is more or less the answer that anyone might have given Kailyn.

Sometimes, suicide is described as a contagion. That is basically accurate.

But a more accurate label might be to call it an allergen.

Many of us can hear tragic suicide news and experience shock or sadness, but not suicidal thoughts of our own.

Similarly, many of us can ingest peanut oil without then going into anaphylactic shock.

However, there are people who cannot do one or the other (or either) without a life-threatening reaction.

Kailyn has been discussing mental health for years.

She has spoken about the importance of education and also on breaking the stigma.

Mental illness is not a weakness — it is an illness. Reaching out for help and support can save lives. We are glad that Kail got the support that she needed.

Kailyn Lowry Reveals Ex Died by Suicide: It Triggered My Own Suicidal Thoughts! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip .