Life & Death With the Rich & Famous

Suicide claimed the lives of two people in the past couple weeks who seemed like they'd have everything to live for: comedian Richard Jeni and singer for the band Boston, Brad Delp.

If you've ever seen any of Richard Jeni's standup, he was sharp as a tack, his humor was quick and relentless. How could someone who is able to see the funny side of things choose to end their own life?

Or how about Brad Delp? As the singer for a beloved arena-rock band, with millions upon millions of records sold, he had already won the jackpot. Delp also had children from a previous marriage and was engaged to be married this summer. Fame, amazing success, a family, a new love - what could have gone wrong?

The answer in both cases is depression.

The first thing to understand, if you or one of your friends is experiencing depression, is that it is treatable. Things happen to your head and it's like your brain runs out of the chemicals it needs to "feel" happy. It's chemical. It is not real. The second thing to know, is that whoever it is under the current spell of depression needs help. They will not be thinking rationally. What they need, is time. Time will see the seratonin levels correct themselves (even if temporarily) and then they will feel better. Don't take this shit lightly.

There is a great piece on suicide written by David Wong at Pointless Waste Of Time
. It is of course written as a "guide" on how to not fuck-up your suicide, but it's real goal is that it lays out some simple facts that depressed people seem to forget. By the end of the article, I think someone who is depressed might just be persuaded against trying it.

How did you feel when Hunter S. Thompson killed himself?

Or when Kurt Vonnegut contemplated but botched a suicide attempt?

Or when Kurt Cobain checked out early?

I'll tell you how it makes me feel. When you have spent time reading someone's unique take on the world, their vision, you incorporate them into your worldview. How could you read Vonnegut or Thompson, or listen to Nirvana, without that becoming part of your DNA? I remember when Nirvana exploded, thinking that "one of us" finally scored a major hit against everything that was wrong and shitty about society. When Cobain died, it was like all those assholes, all those industry vampires, those jocks in the moshpit, those people who Cobain had triumphed over - it was like those fuckers won.

And I didn't even know those guys personally. But I have known personally people who have killed themself. I don't throw out the friendship welcome mat to everyone. When you kill yourself, you're only letting the assholes win and burning your friends.

As with Delp's suicide, he was thinking "rationally" in that he provided notes for his fiancee and children, warned those finding his body to beware of the carbon monoxide. It may appear that things are awful, but give it a chance. If you ever find yourself in a really knackered frame of mind, give it two weeks. Maybe even mark it on your calendar. If things are not better in two weeks, call a doctor.

I'm just tired of people checking out early. We're all in this together. No one here, gets out alive.