Chubbuck spoke to her family at length about her struggles with depression and suicidal tendencies, though she did not inform them of her specific intent to commit suicide on live television. She had attempted to overdose on drugs in 1970 and frequently made reference to that event. Chubbuck had also been seeing a psychiatrist up until several weeks before her death. Her mother chose not to tell WXLT management of her daughter's suicidal tendencies because she feared Chubbuck would be fired as a result.