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Anthony Bourdain has died...Suicide

I think it would reduce the suicide rate if we treated suicide more as a human right and choice. That each day you wake up in the morning you have the opportunity to live your life or end it. To realize you have that agency can be the opposite of depressing.

Walker Percy had this theory in his book Lost in The Cosmos and people questioned his mental state, but it really changed my life.

He also had some good stuff on why creative people commit suicide more.
 
Gossamer said:
two things...I read somewhere that how suicide is reported can lead to additional suicides, particularly when the method is reported. Maybe not related but I wonder if AB took notice of KS suicide...seems oddly coincidental.

While I appreciate the public taking these opportunities to remind people of hotline numbers, etc., how about we spend more time paying attention to one another before we read about these things instead of because these things happened? I don't mean this in a condescending manner...I'm being honest and I'm guilty of the same.

I didn't know either person...and their love of food or their handbags are of no consequence to me...but I suppose if their manner of death provides a reminder to do something better, it's an unintended positive consequence of something awful.
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Don’t know if this is what you read, but I posted it in the cave earlier and it at least sounds similar.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/20...-cause-of-death-suicide-celebrities-reporting
 
CascadeClone said:
I know what you are saying, but that is unfair in most circumstances. There are some who just take the easy way out when facing some personal failures, but that isn't most suicides.

Having been up close and personal with 2 immediate family members with severe depression and anxiety, suicide is not (usually) the product of rational thought. The entire point of mental illness is it makes you irrational. It's like you are trying to make decisions based on facts, but all your facts are wrong and misleading you.

Imagine if your spouse, kids, friends all loved you - you are a good provider and caring person. But your mind convinces you that they all hate you, laugh at you, you're worthless, and they'd be better off without you. And these poisonous incorrect thoughts go on over the course of years. That's totally irrational, but you.just.can't.see.it. But that is what it is, at least that is how I have come to understand it.

Say you are schizophrenic and have a hallucination that you are on a diving board and jump into a lovely swimming pool, but in actuality you are jumping off a bridge. Is that taking the cowards way out?

Mental illness is a murderer that tricks you into killing yourself.
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Wow! I've never heard it explained better.
 
Cyclonepride said:
This thread, along with the dirty jobs thread brought up something that I hadn't really thought about in quite a while-

Possibly the most important lesson that my dad taught me was how to find the humor in adversity. He always defused our anger and frustration with humor. He always found the funny part of any situation. It actually made us more angry at times because we were mad enough that we didn't want to laugh, but he'd persist until we did.
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I got you fam.

tdhuttm0mbxy.jpg
 
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Doc said:
I think it would reduce the suicide rate if we treated suicide more as a human right and choice. That each day you wake up in the morning you have the opportunity to live your life or end it. To realize you have that agency can be the opposite of depressing.

Walker Percy had this theory in his book Lost in The Cosmos and people questioned his mental state, but it really changed my life.

He also had some good stuff on why creative people commit suicide more.
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interesting concept...but help me understand your last sentence and how you define "creative people". Seems rather subjective, no matter the pool reviewed.
 
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Bourdain was the best journalist in cable news in the past decade by light years, even though he shunned that label. Aspects of his show were an example of what tv journalism could be at its very best in a way print journalism could not be. Instead we typically get pure brain poison from cable news networks.
 
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Doc said:
I think it would reduce the suicide rate if we treated suicide more as a human right and choice. That each day you wake up in the morning you have the opportunity to live your life or end it. To realize you have that agency can be the opposite of depressing.
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Sounds like a horrible way to start each day. The alarm goes off and you have options:

1. Shut off the alarm and get up.
2. Hit snooze and sleep a little more.
3. Press "ultimate snooze" and never wake up.

Seriously, you think deciding each day whether to live your life or end it is "the opposite of depressing?" Not me.
 
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Gossamer said:
interesting concept...but help me understand your last sentence and how you define "creative people". Seems rather subjective, no matter the pool reviewed.
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Typically artists and musicians who do it full time. Someone who would get immersed in their work.
 
HFCS said:
Bourdain was the best journalist in cable news in the past decade by light years, even though he shunned that label. Aspects of his show were an example of what tv journalism could be at its very best in a way print journalism could not be. Instead we typically get pure brain poison from cable news networks.
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I agree, Lester Holt (NBC) and Tom Rinaldi (ESPN) tell stories in this same way
 
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I've mentioned this before, but I lost my dad to suicide. I also have my battles w/ depression and anxiety, and I hate reading these stories. Its just a reminder that mental illness does not discriminate. It does not care how famous you are or how much money you have.
 
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CascadeClone said:
I know what you are saying, but that is unfair in most circumstances. There are some who just take the easy way out when facing some personal failures, but that isn't most suicides.

Having been up close and personal with 2 immediate family members with severe depression and anxiety, suicide is not (usually) the product of rational thought. The entire point of mental illness is it makes you irrational. It's like you are trying to make decisions based on facts, but all your facts are wrong and misleading you.

Imagine if your spouse, kids, friends all loved you - you are a good provider and caring person. But your mind convinces you that they all hate you, laugh at you, you're worthless, and they'd be better off without you. And these poisonous incorrect thoughts go on over the course of years. That's totally irrational, but you.just.can't.see.it. But that is what it is, at least that is how I have come to understand it.

Say you are schizophrenic and have a hallucination that you are on a diving board and jump into a lovely swimming pool, but in actuality you are jumping off a bridge. Is that taking the cowards way out?

Mental illness is a murderer that tricks you into killing yourself.
Click to expand...

Telling someone with mental illness to just be normal is like telling a cancer patient to not have cancer, or telling a diabetic to not be diabetic.

It's something you HAVE and need to deal with and telling someone with the affliction to "cheer up" is really uninformed.
 
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Gossamer said:
interesting concept...but help me understand your last sentence and how you define "creative people". Seems rather subjective, no matter the pool reviewed.
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I think of it in people that we see as elaborate performers that have much more going on than we understand.

Robin Williams is a prime example.

Could light up a room but was the exact opposite inside...I think the idea is that the 'light' is deflective of what's really going on.
 
What a blow to find that out this morning. I love his shows and his writing. For me his work wasn't just about travel or food, but about how to be compassionate and empathetic towards those who think and see the world differently. It isn't so much about seeing or tasting different things but to learn.
 
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I haven't said much all day since I heard the news about Anthony Bourdain. I don't usually get wrapped into these things but he is a guy I have watched for years. He inspired some of my cooking hobby.

I really hate to see this happen to a TV personality that I think I know. But that's the issue, you don't see what is real all of the time.

This guy took me on tours of places I'll never see, had conversations most of us will never have and had experiences that most will never know.

To think he was in so much in pain is hard fathom. It's not about rich and poor, famous or unknown.....its reality for a lot of people. The reasons will never be understandable.

Each person has their reasons for what they do. I ask that if you do have these thoughts, please reach out. Don't be ashamed, don't be alone. Talk to me, talk to a friend, talk to anyone! I've been there! #NoJudgement
 
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Oh and I love reading comments from trolls on social media like 'he must not have cared about his family enough to live.' Stuff like that is real comforting for them I'm sure.

******* douchebags
 
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I’m lucky enough not to have lost anyone very close to me to suicide, so I really have no business pontificating, but I’ve had a lot of random thoughts on AB suicide today:

A) So much for the thought that a great job can make you happy.


B) Not only had a great job, but was the best at it…by miles.


C) I’m guessing there is one Hell of a note left behind.


D) I’m torn on whether I want to read it.


a. If anyone could explain this, it would be Tony.

b. I’m not sure if a rational explanation is a good thing.


E) Depression is real and a horrible thing. Everyone handles it differently, but making this kind of choice is NOT OK. He just spread that pain he was in to everyone he was close to.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) Veterans press 1 to reach specialised support.

(The older number, 1-800-SUICIDE, is no longer published by the lifeline agency and will probably stop working in the near future.)

Online Chat: http://chat.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx

Crisis Text Line: Text "START" to 741-741

Youth-Specific services (voice/text/chat/email) from the Boys' Town National Hotline: http://www.yourlifeyourvoice.org/Pages/ways-to-get-help.aspx

Spanish: 1-800-SUICIDA
 
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