Three Ways to Fight the Stigma of Suicide

Last week was a sad week for celebrity suicides. You may not have known much about those who took their own lives, but if your social media timeline was like mine, you were connected with many people whose hearts were touched by the news.We began the week with the passing of Kate Spade, a fashion designer who built a handbag empire and turned her name into a multi-million dollar brand, then finished the week with the passing of Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and CNN host whose stories about exotic cultures and food entertained audiences worldwide. They both chose to hang themselves —a gruesome end to their stellar careers.Many people ask themselves, “Why? How could this have happened‽” I’ve seen others sneer. Some even faulted the departed for selfishness because they left behind grieving loved ones. These are the typical responses one finds online. The internet is filled with many insensitive souls who are drunk with their own superior ity, but generally, most people are good at heart.Suicide shocks them to their core.We expect moody teenagers or troubled individuals to struggle with those fatal urges, not successful individuals at the height of their empires. I sometimes suffer from the same misconception that many people have: I equate money and success with happiness. How often have you thought you ’d be happier if you just had more money?The problem is that successful people are too busy to make time for physical or mental health checkups, or they fear the ...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Depression Goodreads Suicide Source Type: blogs