Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain: In Memory and a Call to Action

As the tragic news of the death of fashion celebrity Kate Spade was announced this week, a number of my faithful friends were quick to think of me and wonder how I might be taking it.   Yes, it is very close to home; having recently been through a similar, semi-public loss by suicide of the love of my life, my partner, Jill.

Source Image: Bebeto Matthews/AP

In general, I have found any news coverage of poor Ms. Spade’s fate to be more sensationalism than journalism and I feel very much for the family while talking head pundits wonder “why.”

There is no Why is Suicide.

After questioning her motivations and disparaging her family, reporters went on to reveal that she may have had mental health issues, with a history of depression.

Mental health issues?   Ya’ Think?   

Source Image: CNN

Definitely, other factors such as those related to relationships, substance abuse, physical health, and job, money, legal, or housing stress definitely can all be catalysts.   But such act of despair itself is, I think, such a clear demonstration of mental health distress.

This morning, as I proofread this writing there is news of another celebrity suicide.  Celebrity chef and television journalist Anthony Bourdain has also died of apparent suicide this morning.

Maybe this is our wakeup call.

What is going on with the Suicide Rate?

Ironically, in these past few days, there was interesting reporting on the release of a CDC study noting a 30% rise in the national suicide rate since 1999 with concentrations in middle-aged women particularly.

"Middle-aged adults had the largest number of suicides and a particularly high increase in suicide rates. These findings are disturbing," said CDC principal deputy director Dr. Anne Schuchat.

Yes, disturbing.   Suicide is absolutely disturbing.

Suicide is uncomfortable to talk about (even to write about).  

It carries Stigma.  

This is the same Stigma that hangs over all of mental health disorders.   

And at the same time, not only is the suicide rate increasing, but our diagnosis of mental health disorders is also obviously increasing.    Mental Health has become a top concern across a country dealing with gun violence, economic and racial injustice, and a digitally connected society.

Practice Perspective

The book I was writing for Jill, in my best attempt to help her exercise her mind to try to manage her mental health, is called A Glass Half Empty?  …or Half Full?:  A Children’s Book for Grown-Ups.  It’s available on Amazon and such (end of plug).

 

In addition to raising donations with the proceeds going to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, what I am hoping to do is to continue to push thinking and discussion about Mental Health … for ALL of us.   

Disorders of the mind make it very, very challenging to gauge whether your Glass is Half Empty or Half Full.     

Learning to manage your perspective takes repetitive practice, not unlike repetitive exercise we might do for physical fitness.

Just like other kinds of health issues, mental health issues can and often do develop at different stages of life.   If more and more of us are facing challenges with our mental health, then the two things we each can do right now to start helping:

1. End the Stigma around Mental Health – and even Suicide.   We’ve GOT to start being able to talk about this!
2. Take care of YOUR Mental Health first!   Do your exercises (physical and mental).  Nourish your body and your mind.   And Practice Perspective!

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Dan Schuck is an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and the author of A Glass Half Empty? ...or Half Full?: A Children's Book for Grown-Ups.   Available at Amazon.com in Kindle and print formats at booksellers near you.