Chester Bennington’s Death Needs to Be a Call to Help, Not Demonize

While I didn’t know Chester Bennington’s music all that well, it was still extremely saddening to hear that he committed suicide. He left behind family, including his six kids. He left behind fame, for all the music he made. And while I don’t know his financial situation, maybe he left behind some fortune as well. Just thinking about all that he left behind makes me really upset.

In response to his suicide, many of us have called him selfish. Some of us, like me at times in the past, thought that people like Bennington would automatically go to hell because, through killing himself, he automatically violated the commandment which says that “thou shall not kill.” And others of us may just shake our heads and ask this: “What would lead him to do such a horrible act against himself?”

The problem with all of these types of responses is that they show a lack of sensitivity to just how difficult depression is. These responses do not consider the fact that, in the minds of some with suicidal depression, this earth would be better without them and that the least selfish thing to do is to take one’s own life. These responses do not consider the fact that for some people with suicidal depression, taking one’s own life is a way to ease oneself of pain on this earth. People with deep, even suicidal, levels of depression grapple with these sorts of emotions.

These emotions, while crazy to people who don’t struggle with depression, is a reality for some people with deep levels of depression.

Our society needs to stop demonizing the fact that this deep, even suicidal, level of depression is the reality for some people. Demonization will take us nowhere.

Instead, the existence of suicidal thoughts and actions should instead be a call to help. Namely, a call to help others if you have a family member or friend going through suicidal thoughts, and a call to help yourself if you are going through suicidal thoughts yourself.

That call to help might differ from person to person, from situation to situation. Sometimes, a person needs to be reminded that he or she is loved and valued. Sometimes, you or a loved one needs a therapist. And sometimes, someone needs to just call the National Suicide Hotline (provided below).

By answering that call to help, you may save the life of a family member, a friend, or yourself.

Life can be difficult sometimes. It really can. But we are all in this life together, and I hope we can lift each other up enough to prevent future Chester Bennington-like situations.

National Suicide Hotline for the United States: 1-800-273-8255

Link to a list of international suicide hotlines through suicide.org

Author’s Note: I wrote this blog piece in the last few days as a response to Bennington’s death. As a result, while I always edit my posts, this particular post might have grammar mistakes since I wrote this at the last minute. I apologize in advance for those mistakes.