After certain events that have happened this week, I want to shed more light on this deadly and tragic topic.
Today, Anthony Bourdain died. On Tuesday, Kate Spade died. These creative, public figures ended their lives because the suffering became too much. Mental health is often overlooked compared to physical health because it is invisible.
The visibility and intangibility of something does not mean that it is not real or that it isn't there. How can we continue to ignore the validity of mental illnesses or make it seem lesser than the physical ones?
Claudia Herrera wrote on Facebook about Kate Spades death and it went viral. Check out her post. I was very moved by it and its truth about the world we live in.
I'm not shy about my struggles with anxiety and depression. Sometimes my anxiety is so
debilitating that I literally cannot function. Sometimes my depression forces me to stay in bed all day because I cannot find the will to get out of bed to be productive. The lies it tells me about my worth and capabilities, about what my friends and family think about me, about what part of me random strangers on the street are judging –– it sounds ridiculous. But if you were just to meet me, you wouldn't see any of that. You wouldn't see my struggle.
There was a time earlier this year where I was crying so hard. I was sobbing in my pillow, barely able to breathe because I was so frustrated and sad and hurt by something that happened. It made my depression and anxiety worse. I literally thought, "It'd better if I wasn't here. I'm not doing anything with myself. I don't need to be here." And that was so scary. I reached out to friends and was able to calm down and rationalize my thoughts. I knew what I needed to do to get these lies out of my head. It was a scary moment that I actually had those type of horrible thoughts but that is what these type of mental illnesses do. Personally, I know I could never go through with ending things or harming myself in such a manner, but those triggers and answers to the pain are real possibilities for so many out there.
I don't see it as a sign of weakness, but rather a great sign of strength to be able to acknowledge and deal with your struggles. Suffering does not mean you are weak.
When suicide feels like the only escape, it doesn't mean they are no longer strong; it just means they saw this as the only solution. Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade are two figures who represent this side of the issue, but we have to remember that there are so many people out there who suffer similarly.
If this isn't yet another reminder to always be kind because we don't know what others are going through, I really don't know what else will help elicit more compassion and change. ♥