Anthony Bourdain found dead in France, apparent suicide

Here's more:

 

Bourdain was materially rich yet spiritually poor, so he killed himself. That you do not see the connection between Bourdain's spiritual poverty and his mental illness is disturbing but unsurprising.

 

His entire life seemed to revolve around eating lots of good food and drinking lots of good booze. I love food and booze as much as any man, but it is the definition of a material comfort, which means it cannot serve as a sustainable basis for human fulfillment and happiness. Eventually, the delicious food and drinks will lose their luster, and all the strangers you shared experiences with will fade into the background, and then what is left? For most of human history, there was religion. Personally, I tend to follow a more pagan religion. I "worship" nature because I believe it is a divine creation. This truth gives me strength that no amount of delicious food and drink ever could. There is a reason why a belief in the divine is so pervasive throughout humanity. And there is a reason why even people who claim to be atheists try to fill their spiritual void with some ersatz God, like materialism or the state.

Clearly, just look at Bourdain.

 

Mental illness has NOTHING to do with spiritual poverty and sure as hell ain't caused by it.

 

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

 

What is also unsurprising are how some people don't understand the meaning of Luke 4:23.

An all merciful, all loving God would not condemn a person who is mentally ill.

 

From Rose McGowan on her friend who, it appears, sought help then didn't take the doctor's advice;

Dear Fellow Humans,

Sitting across from me is the remarkable human and brave survivor, Asia Argento, who has been through more than most could stand, and yet stand she does. She stood up to her monster rapist and now she has to stand up to yet another monster, suicide. The suicide of her beloved lover and ally, Anthony Bourdain. I write these truths because I have been asked to. I know so many around the world thought of Anthony Bourdain as a friend and when a friend dies, it hurts. Many of these people who lost their ‘friend’ are wanting to lash out and blame. You must not sink to that level. Suicide is a horrible choice, but it is that person’s choice.

When Anthony met Asia, it was instant chemistry. They laughed, they loved and he was her rock during the hardships of this last year. Anthony was open with his demons, he even wrote a book about them. In the beginning of their relationship, Anthony told a mutual friend, “He’s never met anyone who wanted to die more than him.” And through a lot of this last year, Asia did want the pain to stop. But here’s the thing, over their time together, thankfully, she did the work to get help, so she could stay alive and live another day for her and her children. Anthony’s depression didn’t let him, he put down his armor, and that was very much his choice. His decision, not hers. His depression won. Anthony and Asia had a free relationship, they loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on. Asia is a free bird, and so was Anthony. Was. Such a terrible word to write. I’ve heard from many that the past two years they were together were some of his happiest and that should give us all solace.

Anthony was 61, the same age my father was when he died. My father also suffered from intermittent deep depression, and like Anthony, was part of a “pull up your bootstraps and march on” generation. The a “strong man doesn’t ask for help” generation. I know before Anthony died he reached out for help, and yet he did not take the doctor’s advice. And that has led us here, to this tragedy, to this loss, to this world of hurt. Do NOT do the sexist thing and burn a woman on the pyre of misplaced blame. Anthony’s internal war was his war, but now she’s been left on the battlefield to take the bullets. It is in no way fair or acceptable to blame her or anyone else, not even Anthony. We are asking you to be better, to look deeper, to read and learn about mental illness, suicide and depression before you make it worse for survivors by judging that which we do not understand, that which can never fully be understood. Sometimes we are stuck in the unknowable, and that is where we are now, a massive wave of darkness that threatens to swallow everyone in its wake.

As I watch Asia do her job on set today, I see a pillar of strength who continues to work to put food on her children’s table. I see Elizabeth Taylor carrying on filming Cat on a Hot Tin Roof despite her love, her husband, dying in a plane crash. I see all of us who have carried on. Please join me in sending healing energy to Anthony on his journey, and to all who’ve been left behind to journey on without him. There is no one to blame but the stigma of loneliness, the stigma of asking for help, the stigma of mental illness, the stigma of being famous and hurting.

We must do more and be better. Anthony, our friend, would want it that way.

To the media and to the random commenter, Anthony would never have wanted Asia to be hurt, I’d like to think he would want us to have the collective conversation that needs to be had about depression. Blame is NOT a conversation, it is the shutting down of our collective growth. Which is where we are now. We have a choice as humans, shrink to our smaller, uglier selves, or be better and grow as only true Phoenixes can. I urge you to be that Phoenix.

With great sadness and even greater hope, I remain,

Rose McGowan

 

They're the ones breeding the drug addicts and crazy people. There is always less of both in conservative communities.

 

Which is one reason I'm a major supporter of abortions at cost: most abortions are by liberals. More abortions means less liberals. Republicans don't see the big picture here. If they fully supported abortion, in 20 years, they'd be winning every election in every state.

 

'Depression' only has a chance of manifesting if it's given the permission and the space to do so. If you work at physical labour 10 hours a day, 6 or 7 hours a week - for your very survival, you're highly unlikely to ever develop 'depression'.

It's very much a malady of the rich and idle. And no, being frantically busy with a high-flyer career is not at all the same thing as doing long days of physical work for survival.

 

1) some of us have spent years looking deeper, reading, and learning about 'depression' etc, but not all of us have limited ourselves to just a single theory on it (the modern, rich society, western theory). some of us take the field much more seriously, and so have looked at all models, from all cultures.

2) yes, there is very much 'someone to blame'. that someone being the individual themselves, and if young, their parents. also, there should ALWAYS be stigma associated with such things. it's stigma which keeps borderline people functioning and not succumbing. remove all stigma, and the rates of suicide and depression will skyrocket. those who succumb regardless, were always going to. removing stigmas won't make the slightest bit of difference in saving those individuals. that level of narcissism knows no bounds.

3) yes, blame is very much the conversation we should be having ... loudly and often. there is zero growth in removing all social survival pressures (in this case, blame and shame), there is only destruction. social pressures are there for a reason .. to keep the herd safe and alive. the haste to pander to immediate 'feelings', at the cost of survival, is disgustingly anti-life.

 

Accepting facts has nothing to do with my sleep patterns.

 

What children Progressives do have, will be chemically neutured because-trans-feelings, so an evolutionary dead end? We can only hope.

 

No, someone has to be severely narcissistic to do that.

You always protect the wrong people, Renee.

 

'human empathy'? for an ex-junkie, alcoholic, narcissist who destroyed a child's life?

I sure hope you're joking.

 

Yet I do. And maintain that he's correct.

You grow up and accept that it's no longer about you, or you stay a narcissistic toddler.

 

"victim" ... ha ha. like it's an act of god, or something.

 

The dude was outrageously smug and sneery. Progs and poseurs love that stuff. Especially in someone who plays right into all their posturings (foodieness, travel, wine, etc). And since they don't recognise that a chain smoking alcoholic is unlikely to be a decent and mature human being, they're free to love unreservedly. See what I did there? No Reservations

 

You got it in one. A most obnoxious individual.

 

If only they knew who they were.

 

Disagreed. One reason we have so many active duty military and vets committing suicide without ever seeking help is because of the stigma attached to seeking help for a mental disorder. Remove the stigma of seeking mental health care, ensure there is mental health care to be sought, and we'll see a drop in both suicides and murder.

 

Nonetheless, if not allowed to abort, there will be more Progressives even if their father is a turkey-baster.

 

victim of a mental disorder. Just like a physical disease. Do you think it inappropriate to say a person is a victim of cancer? Plague? The flu?

 

We won't. We'll see the opposite. The more this stuff is 'normalised', the more you'll see of it. Not because people 'kept it hidden' before, but because borderline people will allow themselves to succumb. There are always going to be the full crazies, who'll indulge the madness regardless. Nothing can be done about them. Many more walk the fine line, and only stay on the right side of it because they're just sane enough to be reined in by social pressures.

It's VERY SIMPLE, and very very important.

 

Depression is not a disease.