Singer Ginuwine has been away from a minute, but is set to return next week with a new album. But, that new album did not come without struggle, as he reveals in a recent interview with Essence.

In 1999 and 2000, the 33-year-old singer suffered a devastating blow to his personal life when both his parents passed on -- his father shot himself and his mother died of cancer. The loss effected him tremendously, to the point where he contemplated suicide.

He survived multiple attempts, but when they didn't work, he turned to drugs to ease the pain.

"I really didn't want to be here anymore, I didn't want to live and tried to commit suicide more than once," Ginuwine explained. "There was no one around that I really loved at the time, so I turned to the drinking and drugs like weed and ecstasy. I was done mentally and emotionally to the point that I had to go see a psychiatrist, but that didn't do any good because I wasn't interested. In fact, the two times I visited him, I was high. I was depressed and felt like I had nobody to talk to that could relate to me."

At a low point in his life, the singer couldn't seem to shake his depression and dark path. It was a close friend who helped guide him back to normalcy, resulting in a seven-year stretch of sobriety.

"I had one friend who intervened and begged me to get help," said the singer. "Even though I didn't continue with my therapy, I went to church and received counseling from my pastor and got straight spiritually. I was able to turn away from all those things that were destroying me and finally think clearly.

"I had to ask myself whether or not I wanted to go out like my dad and have my kids hurt the way I was hurting. I've been clean for about seven years. Now, I keep all that stuff away from me, especially when I'm on the road," Ginuwine continued.

Today, he's gearing up for the release of his sixth studio album, titled A Man's Thoughts. The album boasts features from Bun B, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and Brandy, while production credits include Bryan-Michael Cox, Tank, and Timbaland on the boards.

It's due in stores June 23.