Susan Hawk admits she considered suicide

DALLAS - Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk said she was seriously considering killing herself when she was committed to a mental hospital.

Hawk told D Magazine that her election campaign and new role as top prosecutor took a toll. She blamed her attention deficit disorder for having trouble with dealing with problems at the office.

She said she turned to her political consultant, who drove her to a Houston clinic for help.

D Magazine reported Hawk had to stay involuntarily after she admitted to a nurse that she wanted to kill herself.

Dallas County Democrats called for her to resign Sunday, saying she should take time for more treatment.

Hawk returned to work last week after being out for nine weeks.

D Magazine editor Tim Rogers says Hawk did two interviews: one while she was in still in treatment, and a marathon emotional interview when she got out of a Houston psychiatric clinic.

Rogers says reporter Jamie Thompson, who interviewed Hawk for the magazine, first met with Hawk in Dallas in mid-September while still in treatment for a major depressive disorder. 

"She and Jaimie met for a few hours and they talked a lot about her life and what had happened up to the point where she went to treatment,” said Rogers. “And the agreement was she didn’t want to talk about treatment until treatment was over."

Rogers says the only other agreement was that Hawk would not talk about any of the recent high-ranking D.A. firings or resignations.

By Sept. 25, Hawk’s treatment was over and, as promised, she talked for 10 emotion-filled hours.

“There were some tears,” said Rogers. “You know, parts of it were…very emotional on both ends. I mean, Jamie called after that long last interview and she just was exhausted."

 The veteran editor is still surprised by hawk's candor.

"The scene where Susan is in the treatment facility in Houston and when she tells her nurses she wants to be let go so she can kill herself, it's just gripping,” said Rogers. “I mean, it was just really gripping."

Hawk disputes one crucial part of the story -- that after her threats to harm herself, she was officially committed.

“She's saying she was always there voluntarily,” said Rogers. “I guess that's true because she never tried to leave, but the doors were locked and she would not have been allowed to leave. So, to me, that seems very involuntary."

Rogers stands by his reporter's story.

“Susan says we got something factually wrong in the story and we didn't,” said Rogers. “I understand why she's saying that. She's under a lot of pressure, so that's the one leverage point she trying to use."

After all, Rogers says, it was Hawk who wanted to talk. 

"Susan has said the reason she told her story is because she wants to help other people who might be dealing with the same issues,” said Rogers. “And so I'll take that at face value. And that's a good reason to tell your story."

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