AnnaLynne McCord speaks out about sexual assault, recovery

Actress AnnaLynne McCord says a sexual assault when she was 18 years old pushed her to the brink of suicide.

In a first-person article published in the July issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, the "Dallas" and "90210" star, now 26, says she is speaking out to help other women who suffer in silence.

"I'm telling my story now because I think it's time to talk about the truth. When I was a kid, my candor got me in a lot of trouble, and I learned to stay quiet, to keep my feelings to myself. But no more. I'm in spiritual warrior mode," she says.

In the article, McCord says she had moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career when a friend who was staying in her apartment overnight raped her as she slept. She did not identify the man.

In her early 20s, her lingering emotional pain and a fight with a then-boyfriend prompted her to consider taking an overdose of pills.

She resisted and began a gradual recovery, which includes helping other abuse victims, McCord said.

McCord ends the article with a message to women and girls everywhere: "You have a voice. Don't put yourself in a box. Don't let the polite lies of society silence you. Honestly, I would endure everything all over again -- it has led me to my own revolution."

You can read McCord's full essay here. The July issue of Cosmopolitan arrives on newsstands June 3.