In the wake of the suicide of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, we wanted to take a brief moment to speak about the very real effects that depression, anxiety, and addiction have on individuals. These two celebrities were just two of the 800,000 people who commit suicide each year, according to World Health Organization estimates.
Robin Williams, Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe, and countless others were figures who many idolized, and yet, they too suffered from the same illnesses that thousands of other people face each day.
If the deaths of these idols teach us anything, it is that depression and suicide can affect anyone—regardless of race, gender, status, or creed—and we should all be doing our best to support each other, even when the signs of illness are not obvious.
These are signs that someone may be dealing with depression:
- Withdrawal from social life
- Decline in work/school quality
- Reliance on substances like alcohol or drugs
For a complete list, click here.
If you or someone you know is in danger of harming themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Remember that help is only a phone call away!