RIP Kate Spade

[DLgal]

The article I read said she was bi-polar. That, and the meds for it, can really mess with a person.

Her sister suspected she was bi polar. She refused treatment of any kind, apparently. She never got help. This was a predictable outcome.

 

[lifesavacation]

So sad that she resisted getting help because she thought it would negatively impact her brand.

Our family has dealt with mental illness so I know how hard it is to convince someone to get the help they need when their illness is working against rational thought processes.

It’s so hard to believe that there is still a stigma surrounding mental health disorders. It’s no different than any other medical condition.

 

[lisaviolet]

The article I read said she was bi-polar.

I didn't add the type of depression because it seemed to me that bipolar was suspected, not diagnosed. Unsure honestly. Regardless, how awful to feel helpless with a loved one's health.

______________________________


We have had quite a few family members who have dealt with mental illness. One had bipolar disorder and he died because of it. I am putting it that way only because it is unclear if it was suicide or addiction (which is self medicating). But who cares, his bipolar condition did in fact kill him. It took a long time to convince him to get help/that he needed help and then to actually get the best help over the years. And I suspect, to stick with it. But since there has been so much misinformation and it was early in understanding mental illness I believe many were guilty of doing a quiet once over. A checklist of his personality and character, his strength, his ambition, his focus. That makes me sad. Trying to figure out what went wrong. And these are people who loved him, without knowing what they were really doing. Just searching their brains, trying to understand. Trying to find some answer that didn't exist, he was just ill.

Often times when people are struggling to reach out for help, there aren't enough resources, they are told to just snap out of it, think of your child, etc.

... so I know how hard it is to convince someone to get the help they need when their illness is working against rational thought processes.

Many people up here talk about not being able to get an appointment with a mental health specialist in any timely manner. Psychiatrists are completely covered, but the waiting list can be extreme. Having the resources available is such a critical factor. We have to do better.

And the bold, it simply can't be said enough.

Personally, I wish people could separate the words happy and sad with mental illness. I feel those are the places where understanding gets muddled for some. And I think it unfairly puts a stigma and unnecessary pressure on those who are suffering.

 

[lisaviolet]

Edit. Double post.

 

[AustinTink]

The media is reporting her husband had moved out and was renting an apartment nearby. He had recently asked for a divorce. A major life event like that could have easily tipped the scale for her, given her mental state. It's so sad she didn't have a support system in place to help her through it.

 

[lisaviolet]

A major life event like that could have easily tipped the scale for her, given her mental state.

Just highlighting this Austin Tink because it's important for understanding mental illness.

 

[TeresaBelle]

My dad hanged himself in 1988, when I was just 13. My younger brother was 10. To this day he thinks daddy was a coward. I know he couldn't help it.

 

[lisaviolet]

Teresa, I am so very sorry. How awful for you all. I can't imagine.

 

[DawnM]

My dad hanged himself in 1988, when I was just 13. My younger brother was 10. To this day he thinks daddy was a coward. I know he couldn't help it.

I don't "like" your post, but I appreciate you posting it. I am so sorry. That is so difficult.

 

[TeresaBelle]

Thank you, both. And I didn't mean to make it sound like, at 13, I knew he couldn't help it, but over the years, I've come to learn it.

 

[luvsJack]

Sounds like she was like the people I know that are bi polar. There are 4, 3 diagnosed, 1 very suspected. All 4 are artistic in some way. 3 are performers and one is wood worker/cabinet maker. They all avoid meds because they feel it changes their ability to do their work. It’s so sad that they feel they have to make that choice. 2 self medicate. For one of them it actually works. For the other, it just led to more and more drugs and has ruined his life.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I know it's a complex issue BUT how do you leave a 13 year old daughter behind??? It's unbelievable to me.

My sister committed suicide 6 years ago. To be honest, it is something I have contemplated on my darkest days. I can tell you how someone in the deep, deep depths of suicidal depression can leave their kids behind...they feel their children would be better off without them. They actually, truly believe that everyone's life would be better if they were not around. I know for a fact that mys sister felt like she was a burden to her kids.

BTW...it has been confirmed today that her husband had moved out and filed for divorce.

 

[ols386]

May she RIP.

 

[NYCgrrl]

May she be at peace.

 

[kandb]

The sad part is that there IS a lot of help these days for depression/anxiety. No one should feel stigmatized by having a mental illness. It can happen to anyone. She lived in NYC, which has some of the best hospitals. Very, very sad.

 

[kandb]

My sister committed suicide 6 years ago. To be honest, it is something I have contemplated on my darkest days. I can tell you how someone in the deep, deep depths of suicidal depression can leave their kids behind...they feel their children would be better off without them. They actually, truly believe that everyone's life would be better if they were not around. I know for a fact that mys sister felt like she was a burden to her kids.

BTW...it has been confirmed today that her husband had moved out and filed for divorce.

I think the KEY to getting mentally healthy is to get help BEFORE one hits rock bottom. If someone feels depressed/anxious get help before you feel hopeless. There is so much help and different kinds of help. The stigma should not be there, an illness is an illness. Get treatment if you need it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I think the KEY to getting mentally healthy is to get help BEFORE one hits rock bottom. If someone feels depressed/anxious get help before you feel hopeless. There is so much help and different kinds of help. The stigma should not be there, an illness is an illness. Get treatment if you need it.

Great advice if your brain knows it's ill.

 

[ronandannette]

...Many people up here talk about not being able to get an appointment with a mental health specialist in any timely manner. Psychiatrists are completely covered, but the waiting list can be extreme. Having the resources available is such a critical factor. We have to do better.

And the bold, it simply can't be said enough.

Personally, I wish people could separate the words happy and sad with mental illness. I feel those are the places where understanding gets muddled for some. And I think it unfairly puts a stigma and unnecessary pressure on those who are suffering.

Only being able to speak to our system, it's a mess Lisa, a total mess. We seem to be in a maelstrom of awareness v.s. access to real help. Every GP now runs a "checklist" for depression symptoms (which, by the way, includes several references to "happy" and "sad") and will automatically offer psych meds to those who "qualify". Without any access to expert follow up and counselling, these extremely powerful drugs are a shot in the dark and often in themselves exacerbate or even cause suicidal thoughts. It's all so very precarious.

 

[kimblebee]

Great advice if your brain knows it's ill.

I would like this 1000 times if I could.

 

[kimblebee]

The sad part is that there IS a lot of help these days for depression/anxiety. No one should feel stigmatized by having a mental illness. It can happen to anyone. She lived in NYC, which has some of the best hospitals. Very, very sad.

Would you say the same to someone who was diagnosed with cancer? Well, you should have gotten treatment before you knew about it..