“It’s a rough world out there, people. Try to hang on.”
Actor and comedian David Spade tweeted those words in the hours following the death of his sister-in-law, renowned fashion designer Kate Spade, who died on June 5 of an apparent suicide. That sentiment, simple and poignant, was still circling my mind like a mantra when I woke up on the morning of June 8 to the news that chef and television host Anthony Bourdain had reportedly committed suicide in France while working an upcoming episode of his CNN show, “Parts Unknown.”
Depression Doesn't Discriminate
Two creative, beloved, and successful people, both of whom seemingly had everything going for them, dead by their own hands within days of one another. It’s a rough world, indeed. No one would have known that better than Bourdain, a man who made his living sending dispatches to our living rooms from the far reaches of the globe, showing us the good, the bad, and the ugly, the unfiltered truth about the human condition. In the midst of the harsh realities, however, he also showed us that the simple pleasures – a good meal shared between friends, family, and neighbors, for instance – make it all so much more bearable.
But living is sometimes a dirty business, and it’s not always easy to hold onto that rosy outlook. Spade’s husband, Andy, released a statement last week saying his wife had been in treatment and on medication for anxiety and depression for some time prior to her death. A former staffer speculated that Bourdain, who revealed in his 2005 book, Medium Raw, that he was often suicidal following the end of his first marriage, may have been physically and emotionally exhausted after so many years on the road filming his various television projects. By all outward appearances, Spade and Bourdain had it all figured out, but their tragic deaths prove that no one’s situation is perfect. Even when we realize our wildest dreams, our baggage comes along for the ride.
Suicide Rates Are Rising
Suicide rates are on the rise all across the United States. A 2016 CDC study ranked it as the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 10 to 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among those between the ages of 35 and 54. Of the 45,000 people aged 10 or older who committed suicide that year, the research showed that less than half of them had known, diagnosed mental health issues. It’s heartbreaking to think how many of them suffered in silence, to the point where they felt death was the only way of escaping the pain.
If each of us were an open book, we would be shocked to learn how similar we all are when it comes to our troubles. Researchers conducting the CDC study cited relationship problems, health problems, substance abuse, and money concerns as some of the most common reasons for suicide, the kind of worries that all of us experience at one time or another, regardless of who we are or what we’ve achieved.
Whatever you’re feeling, whatever it is that keeps you up at night, you’re not alone, and there are people who understand what you're going through and want to talk. The only difference between the people who choose to end their lives and those who keep going is a sliver of hope. And as long as there is life, there can be hope.
Clarity Clinic NWI
www.claritynwi.com
