Rest In Peace

How terribly sad! Gosh... I enjoyed watching his show now and then, he took us around the world...

May he rest in peace... 

I loved watching him....so very sad.

I got to meet Tony a couple of years back. It was such a wonderful day, one of those serendipitous days where you meet a stranger and become fast friends and she takes you to a restaurant to drink and you meet a chef that you have always admired and read his book.

Tony's book changed dining. Did we ever worry about eating Eggs Benedict before him? Thinking of what day to order fish at a restaurant?

I'm so sad.

I first learned of him through the show, The Taste. I am still processing that two very creative people decided to leave this life rather than fight on. I am both sick and sad.

OMG!! Noooooo!!!! I'm in shock!!!

What a man!!! Fascinating, intriguing, and sooo interesting! Bigger than life, and impossible to take you eyes off of!

Wow! I am so sorry he was driven to suicide. How tragic! I hope he can RIP.

nevermind….just saw how he was found

OMG........AB......... 

My hubby worked late last night and is still sleeping (we are in CA) and he does not know this yet but he will be devastated.

While I did not watch his show "Parts Unknown" all that much my husband has AB on all.of.the.time. I mean literally all.of.the.time.

Hubby watches all the repeats as well over and over again.

I am shocked and saddened. I know he has a young daughter. Prayers for her and his family. 

Rest In Peace Anthony Bourdain. Gone way too soon.       

And now, Anthony Bourdain. So sad! My heart breaks for his young daughter. 

I am absolutely gutted by the news about Anthony Bourdain. I always loved how he would eat and talk with everyone, no matter how famous or not. I also loved how he would let people tell their own stories instead of talking over them. He was a rare, troubled soul, and personally I see less light in the world without him.

Depression, anxiety, like cancer,  they don't discriminate. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, it takes ahold of you, and it is relentless. It's not just a down day, or feeling off, you can go though a whole year with depression, and yet nobody will know, because it gets easier to hide..

A whole lifetime for some (or should I say many).

Clinical depression isn't caused by outside forces. It isn't a reaction to events around you because it isn't situational. More often than not it's a chemical imbalance in the brain. Clinical depression isn't the same as being sad. It is the absence of joy, of inner peace, of light, of hope. And everyday millions of people, from all backgrounds, get up to face another day battling this monstrous disease. Oft times, in secrecy. Because the public doesn't understand depression in terms of a disease. To them , it's a sign of weakness or a character flaw to hear someone say " I want to kill myself." And even if your loved ones are supportive, there is a sense their lives are much more exhausting emotionally, because they have to deal with you.
But, what is truly stunning about the disease of depression is just how hard people work in order to put on a mask of normalcy, of happiness. Think about the worst day in your life and then imagine living those feelings everyday for years and years. No calmness or inner peace, no relief from the agony. the battle not to commit suicide, the up and down cycles. performing like a well trained actor for family, friends, co-workers. And if you do break in front of them they say something completely unhelpful like "just don't think about it." But, you can't. Because your brain is not capable of manufacturing enough dopamine(it is the chemical that produces 'happiness and contentment). Even if you are in therapy and taking medications-those meds constantly need readjusting. Sometimes, you find that a particular drug no longer works. The repetiveness of trying to feel 'normal' is physically and emotionally agonizing.
Suicide nationwide is up by 50% over the last 17 years. it now surpasses car crashes in the amount of people who die from it.
People with depression are extraordinarily tough people. As tough as anyone battling cancer. But, just like cancer, sometimes being tough and receiving top notch care isn't enough to keep the disease from killing you. Just like cancer patients people with depression fight a brave battle against the disease. But, we don't phrase it that way for people who suicide. We judge. We call them selfish. We wonder how they could "do that" to their families and friends. But, that isn't what they are thinking, because again, their brains are chemically different from yours. It's a long exhaustive fight .It is relentless is preventing you from feeling anything other than despair. Or it robs you of the ability to feel anything.

Compassion towards everyone fighting this misunderstood disease would help people don't feel isolated or judged. It would give people the incentive to seek treatment and it would give those seeking treatment reason not to feel guilt shame and self-hatred. They could be open about their illness. instead of having to carry it around like a deep, heavy secret lest they be judged. Society owes compassion and understanding  to those who bravely battle the disease of mental illness.  Clinical depression isn't caused by outside forces. It isn't a reaction to events around you because it isn't situational. More often than not it's a chemical imbalance in the brain. Clinical depression isn't the same as being sad. It is the absence of joy, of inner peace, of light, of hope. And everyday millions of people, from all backgrounds, get up to face another day battling this monstrous disease. Oft times, in secrecy. Because the public doesn't understand depression in terms of a disease. To them , it's a sign of weakness or a character flaw to hear someone say " I want to kill myself." And even if your loved ones are supportive, there is a sense their lives are much more exhausting emotionally, because they have to deal with you.

But, what is truly stunning about the disease of depression is just how hard people work in order to put on a mask of normalcy, of happiness. Think about the worst day in your life and then imagine living those feelings everyday for years and years. No calmness or inner peace, no relief from the agony. the battle not to commit suicide, the up and down cycles. performing like a well trained actor for family, friends, co-workers. And if you do break in front of them they say something completely unhelpful like "just don't think about it." But, you can't. Because your brain is not capable of manufacturing enough dopamine(it is the chemical that produces 'happiness and contentment). Even if you are in therapy and taking medications-those meds constantly need readjusting. Sometimes, you find that a particular drug no longer works. The repetiveness of trying to feel 'normal' is physically and emotionally agonizing.

Suicide nationwide is up by 50% over the last 17 years. it now surpasses car crashes in the amount of people who die from it.

People with depression are extraordinarily tough people. As tough as anyone battling cancer. But, just like cancer, sometimes being tough and receiving top notch care isn't enough to keep the disease from killing you. Just like cancer patients people with depression fight a brave battle against the disease. But, we don't phrase it that way for people who suicide. We judge. We call them selfish. We wonder how they could "do that" to their families and friends. But, that isn't what they are thinking, because again, their brains are chemically different from yours. It's a long exhaustive fight .It is relentless is preventing you from feeling anything other than despair. Or it robs you of the ability to feel anything.

Like cancer, it can be a fatal disease. While we state someone died after a brave battle with cancer, we don't do the same for someone whose lost their years long battle to the disease of mental illness. We should respect and honor people battling depression, as well. 
ETA: There are different depths of clinical depression. So , I don't compare them. People who commit suicide have not done so because they didn't fight hard enough. Anymore than a terminal cancer patient didn't fight hard enough to live.