Man whose wife died by suicide shares ‘biggest sign’ he missed in her final week before her death

A man who lost his wife to suicide shared the ‘biggest sign’ he missed in her final week.

In 2015, Brandy Zink of Boise, Idaho committed suicide at the age of 34. Her husband Eric now opens up about the one change that occurred in her before her death that he would rather not have overlooked.

In a video Eric (43) shared on his TikTok account last month, he explained that her mood had changed dramatically in the days leading up to her suicide.

He told his followers that she suddenly became “happy” after being “extremely depressed” for a while. He thought she was doing better at the time, but now he believes it was because she “made the decision to end it all.”

“The biggest sign I missed that my wife was going to commit suicide and end her life was that she was happy,” he shared in the clip, which has been viewed more than 34,000 times.

“My wife went from being extremely depressed Brandy to suddenly being happy, at peace with life, and finding joy in life.”

He said he took her unexpected “surge” of “enthusiasm” about life as a good sign.

“You think they slept off their depression or something. But in reality, they made a decision in their head to end it,” he continued.

“That’s the battle with depression… We become so isolated that we feel broken, damaged, invisible.”

Eric ended his video with a message for others who may be having a “hard time.”

“To everyone who is having a hard time right now, you are an amazing person, you are a real star,” he said.

“You’ve survived 100 percent of your worst days. I’m proud of you for being here now.”

He also encouraged people to reach out to their loved ones if they need help.

“Believe me, you are loved and we need you here,” he concluded.

In a second video on the subject shared in April, Eric, who admitted to attempting suicide himself in 2018, explained that “everything changed” for Brandy “in the last week of her life,” despite her doing nothing different.

“She hasn’t gone to therapy, she hasn’t found a new therapist or done anything like that. She hasn’t changed medications or stopped drinking or smoking,” he revealed.

‘She didn’t change anything in her life, but suddenly she had a positive attitude. She had a plan, she was motivated.

‘Everything was good and I believed that. I thought, “Oh my God, my wife is happy that this is the person I’ve been missing.”‘

“It’s the scariest thing when you look back and realize that this was literally the point that [she] Gave up.

“They are happy and excited because they know the pain will stop. It’s not that they are curing depression, they are giving in to it.”

The Idaho resident, who has since remarried, is speaking out online about his wife’s death in the hopes of ending the stigma surrounding mental illness.

“I want to share my story so people know they are not alone and that there is light at the end of the deep, dark tunnel,” he said Newsweek recently.

Eric explained to the publication that Brandy “struggled with childhood trauma” and “sexual abuse and assault” for most of her life.

“She was an alcoholic and struggled with addiction. We tried therapy a few times, but she fell right back into her old habits,” he added.

Many people commented on Eric’s videos to thank him for his openness.

“Please continue watching these videos, I have struggled with this daily for over 30 years,” one person wrote.

Another simply added, “We needed this.”

“As a therapist, this is the most important sign we should look for: happiness and peace,” someone else shared.

“I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for letting others know,” read a fourth comment.

A fifth said: ‘You are a huge help to so many people, I really love you.’

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact Samaritans NYC at 212-673-3000 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386.

For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or click here.