Chester, why?

I’m shocked Chester killed himself. But I’m annoyed at the people glorifying his death and not looking through it to see what really was the problem. He had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and was sexually abused as a child. But he battled or at least he tried to through the music of Linkin Park, the band millenials like me grew up on. And then he gave up and took his own life, seemingly alone and and cut down by this cruel world. And then what? We stop and praise him and remember him? No that’s not just it.

I’m angry he had no one to help him through this. I’m pissed that even though he needed someone, no one was there. I’m horrified that my news feed on every platform that I am on is filled with homages to him but few people and media outlets if any are going beyond that shock to understand why he did so and what we should do if we see someone going through a mental disorder such as depression.

Few are talking about the damage depression can cause. Discussions are not about tackling depression and dealing with people who have it but about how a part of our teenage is gone. His death is being glorified and that is exactly the opposite of what it should have caused. Throughout history, deaths of celebrities by suicide have inspired the same in general public (there may not be many studies available but the limited that are give this as a probable conclusion). If anything, his death (and of all those people who took their own lives) needs to be be de-glorified. There is no glory nor shame in Chester taking his own life.

I understand everyone’s pain is different. Everyone fights their own battles but what needs to be understood is that they are not alone. And if there’s help available, I’m guessing people take it too but the taboo around mental illness needs to be broken down for therapy to be effective which is another discussion all together but the point is there are options in the form of people and organisations ready to lend a hand to individuals fighting with depression. Governments are waking up to this. Based on this and this, around 60 nations have dedicated hotlines to this cause. It’s not much but it is something.

Chester and Linkin Park were there for us kids when we were going through the dark phases of growing up. But I’m sad he and all the other people who took their lives were cornered into such a situation where there was no one for them.