I have been doing standup for over years now. I have been suffering from anxiety and depression for twice as long. It has taken decades of trial and error to figure out what works for me to cope.
And I am not alone. There is a history of comedians who have committed suicide: Robin Williams, Freddie Prinze, Ray Combs, Charles Rocket, Richard Jeni, Brody Stevens, Michael Roof, Micke Dubois, Doodles Weaver, Tony Hancock, and Andrew Koenig. Many of them you know, and some of them you may have never heard of. But what did most of them have in common? Depression. Greg Giraldo died of an accidental drug overdose. Many people who have a history of drug abuse also suffered from mental illness such as depression. Robin Williams had a history of drug use and abuse, but at the time of his death, he was only taking prescribed medications in the proper amount. While he did suffer from depression throughout his life, he also had undiagnosed Lewy body disease, which is believed to be the reason that he took his life. Sigmund Freud felt that comedians often joked to relieve some kind of anxiety. Some believe they use comedy as a coping mechanism, while others feel that they use laughter as a way to control a situation that they would otherwise feel powerless. Comedians find validation in laughter and acceptance from the audience.
And such fates are not isolated to just comedians. Actors and other entertainers befall the same outcome. Dana Plato, Margaux Hemingway, and Marilyn Monroe all died of apparent drug overdoses with links to depression and mental illness. Actor George Reeves, as well as musicians Bob Welch, Buthc Trucks, Wendy O. Williams, Mindy McCready, and Kurt Cobain, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Spaulding Gray died from jumping off the side of the Staten Island Ferry. Chris Cornell, Michael Hutchence, Anthony Bordain, and Kate Spade all died from hanging. Not to be limited to the performing arts, well-known painters and writers have also ended their own lives, including: Virginia Wolf, Vincent van Goh, Sylvia Plath, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ernest Hemingway.
Even though these people are revered as being highly successful, they still all had mental issues, drug abuse, and/or sought therapy. They may have been perceived as successful, but were they happy? It is no surprise that mental illness is often linked to suicide. Rain Pryor, Richard Pryor's daughter, said in a documentary on her father, "My dad's humor came from life, and I don't think dad had a choice. You either laugh your way through it, or you die through it." While Richard did not die of suicide, he did have a life-long struggle with drug abuse.
Suicide and accidental death due to drug overdose have become an epidemic in the United States. Stress, along with anxiety and depression, are the root causes. The American Journal of Public Health published an article regarding despair among white Americans is a trend in the leading causes of premature death in the years 1999-2015. An increasingly stressed society is what one forensic pathologist believes is the root cause of these deaths. He said that these deaths tend to be in people between the ages of 35-55. Because of this stress, we are becoming self-medicated and over-medicated. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht feels this is a greater epidemic than the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Broken families, the depersonalization of our society, and even making a living play a role in our stress levels today, according to Dr. Wecht.
If you feel like suicide is an option, seek help immediately. There is no shame in that.
For techniques to help deal with stress, please check out my book on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2Wajkf4
And I am not alone. There is a history of comedians who have committed suicide: Robin Williams, Freddie Prinze, Ray Combs, Charles Rocket, Richard Jeni, Brody Stevens, Michael Roof, Micke Dubois, Doodles Weaver, Tony Hancock, and Andrew Koenig. Many of them you know, and some of them you may have never heard of. But what did most of them have in common? Depression. Greg Giraldo died of an accidental drug overdose. Many people who have a history of drug abuse also suffered from mental illness such as depression. Robin Williams had a history of drug use and abuse, but at the time of his death, he was only taking prescribed medications in the proper amount. While he did suffer from depression throughout his life, he also had undiagnosed Lewy body disease, which is believed to be the reason that he took his life. Sigmund Freud felt that comedians often joked to relieve some kind of anxiety. Some believe they use comedy as a coping mechanism, while others feel that they use laughter as a way to control a situation that they would otherwise feel powerless. Comedians find validation in laughter and acceptance from the audience.
And such fates are not isolated to just comedians. Actors and other entertainers befall the same outcome. Dana Plato, Margaux Hemingway, and Marilyn Monroe all died of apparent drug overdoses with links to depression and mental illness. Actor George Reeves, as well as musicians Bob Welch, Buthc Trucks, Wendy O. Williams, Mindy McCready, and Kurt Cobain, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Spaulding Gray died from jumping off the side of the Staten Island Ferry. Chris Cornell, Michael Hutchence, Anthony Bordain, and Kate Spade all died from hanging. Not to be limited to the performing arts, well-known painters and writers have also ended their own lives, including: Virginia Wolf, Vincent van Goh, Sylvia Plath, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ernest Hemingway.
Even though these people are revered as being highly successful, they still all had mental issues, drug abuse, and/or sought therapy. They may have been perceived as successful, but were they happy? It is no surprise that mental illness is often linked to suicide. Rain Pryor, Richard Pryor's daughter, said in a documentary on her father, "My dad's humor came from life, and I don't think dad had a choice. You either laugh your way through it, or you die through it." While Richard did not die of suicide, he did have a life-long struggle with drug abuse.
Suicide and accidental death due to drug overdose have become an epidemic in the United States. Stress, along with anxiety and depression, are the root causes. The American Journal of Public Health published an article regarding despair among white Americans is a trend in the leading causes of premature death in the years 1999-2015. An increasingly stressed society is what one forensic pathologist believes is the root cause of these deaths. He said that these deaths tend to be in people between the ages of 35-55. Because of this stress, we are becoming self-medicated and over-medicated. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht feels this is a greater epidemic than the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Broken families, the depersonalization of our society, and even making a living play a role in our stress levels today, according to Dr. Wecht.
If you feel like suicide is an option, seek help immediately. There is no shame in that.
For techniques to help deal with stress, please check out my book on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2Wajkf4
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