CAMDEN — Within days of each other, 55-year-old designer Kate Spade and 61-year-old chef and storyteller Anthony Bourdain took their own lives.
Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It’s a growing problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show suicide rates have increased by 25 percent over nearly two decades ending in 2016.
“It’s hard for people to understand how someone can take their own life because it goes against human nature,” said Rachel Shmuts, DO, a psychiatrist with Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. “But for those suffering, they feel an indescribable emotional pain and extreme hopelessness. With the combination of these two things, a person may feel that the only way to end their suffering, to escape it, is to take their own life.”
Dr. Shmuts says that suicide is a symptom of psychiatric illness, mostly affiliated with depression. “Depression is a complex disease. It can cloud a person’s thoughts with negativity and distort reality. It’s like driving with a dirty windshield. You can drive but it doesn’t look the same. The dirt on the windshield is the depression or illness.”
What’s more, psychiatric illness does not distinguish between celebrity, public figure or private citizen. It also doesn’t distinguish when the sufferer has children.
“For the person who ‘has it all,’ it’s even harder to understand. But mental illness does not discriminate. A person’s wealth or fame cannot change their internal experience or help their extreme pain and hopelessness.
“We may also ask, ‘How could this person leave their children behind?’ The sufferer may think that their child will be better off without them in their lives. However, that is the illness talking. We know that’s not true, but the illness distorts their perception of reality.”
Dr. Shmuts urges people to know the warning signs:
— Feeling extreme hopelessness and emotional pain — withdrawing socially, having trouble eating or sleeping, researching suicide methods and making statements such as, “Life isn’t worth living.”
— Experiencing the loss of a loved one or relationship. Older men who are widowed or divorced are at a very high risk
— Having a family history of suicide
— Abusing alcohol and substances
— Feeling isolated and lacking social support
— Having a history of trauma or abuse
— Having mental disorders, particularly depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and certain personality disorders
There are levels of severity with psychiatric illness, explained Dr. Shmuts. Suicide ideation refers to considering or planning suicide. “Oftentimes, this is more about terrible frustration and feeling hopeless, but the person doesn’t act upon it.”
No matter the level of severity, there is always help available, said Dr. Shmuts. “If you feel you need help, please talk with your doctor. There is no stigma in asking for help. There are medications, therapies or a combination of both that can help you feel better. There are a lot of people who recover from their illness. There is hope.”
If you have a loved one or friend you are concerned about, Dr. Shmuts recommends reaching out to them to let them know they are not alone. “Talk to that person in a warm, non-judgmental way. Let them know you care about them and are there to help. Offer to go to a doctor’s appointment with them to show your support. The most important message you can give them is that they are not alone.”
If you or a loved one is in crisis, call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. The service is available to anyone. All calls are confidential. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
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