Let Us Talk About Mental Health & Suicide

It is now 2018 and a host of celebrities have died, not from age or car crashes, but from the darkness that has taken so many.

The latest one was Anthony Bourdain, and for me personally, one of the most interesting men around. Yes, celebrity chef but the “Parts Unknown” show was engaging. Not just someone trying to cook or eating but with real depth.

Robin Williams, a comedic  genius, will not grace the screen or the end of the band the Cranberries with singer Dolores o Riordan and let’s not forget Kate Spade.  Avicii’s death was much like a lot of these celebrities who got lost in their craft.

In our own life that darkness of life can come at any time, swallowed up by debt, going through a divorce. Where does this take us?

We are talking about Mental Health just like your physical health. I have often said you would never tell don’t exercise but with Mental Health we keep in that toxic environment hoping to change the person or pay off the debt with one more job.

For me, it was school followed by years of unstable work never knowing when I would get fired or I would just leave because it was so bad with the people and the bosses. This has left me and my wife more than once in some pretty good stand offs.

.          How does my marriage survive?

.          How did I come out of high school and nearly commit suicide?

.          Feeling so hopelessly alone with the darkness swallowing me up.  Thinking about high school drinking for the wrong reasons.

 Anthony Bourdain said something that struck me in his words to do a job like his you have to be somewhat Vain. That person in the mirror has said to everyone, “listen to “ME”!!

I thought this was interesting just like him to say this.

It got me thinking about that point in my life where I said enough. Somewhere between a young 16 – 18 year old I said the system was not going to beat me. At that point I knew that I was going to work with my hands and I would never graduate.

The second more spiritual, yes going to church as a young child understanding that there was a “bigger picture”.  With faith I built on this until the 12 steps put it into proper words. For me God has never let me down and has guided me through the darkest of times.