You Have No Reason to Be Depressed If You're Rich and Famous

On June 14, Sushant Singh Rajput, a rich and famous Bollywood actor killed himself with seemingly no reason to be depressed. The man was only 34 years old and was on prescription drugs for depression. As we fans grieve, multiple questions are being raised, from the expected to the sensational. And there is one question that is being asked over and over: what drove him to commit suicide? Being rich and famous, he had everything going for him. Surely he had no reason to be depressed in the first place. 

That's where people are wrong. Depression is not always a cause and effect disorder. One can be basically perfect and still be depressed. They are neither weak nor ungrateful for it because depression is a health condition as real as say, cancer. Since we don't invalidate and mock cancer patients, we should extend the same courtesy to patients of depression as well. 

Maybe you are one of the people who cannot fathom why successful and loved public figures get depressed and/or suicidal. As a regular person who has been judged for having mental health issues, all I have to say is this: please don't expect anyone to justify why they are depressed. When we confide in you, we do it because we trust you and need your help. The best way to help is to support us even if you don't understand our pain.

Supporting Loved Ones with No Reason to Be Depressed

1. Listen to us -- We are not looking for advice when we talk about our struggles. Nor is it is your responsibility to be our therapist. All we want is someone who listens to us without judgment. Yes, even if we are successful to boot, hear us out patiently. If we are not talking, check in with us immediately. 
    
2. Spend quality time -- One of the consequences of depression is that it makes us asocial. We avoid interacting with other people and, sadly, the excess alone time further depresses us. We feel lonely and even more hopeless than before. Chase us down for conversations and outings if you have to, because your dedication and company will cheer us up a little and may even save our lives. 
    
3. Accept us for who we are -- For the love of whatever you believe in, please stop trying to fix or cure us. Unless you are sure our depression is situational, know that we may have to live with "the black dog" for the rest of our lives. We struggle to accept ourselves as it is. Please don't make it harder by invalidating our suffering because, in your eyes, it has no logical cause.

Celebrity suicides are upsetting and have insidious ripple effects when the media covers them insensitively. Make sure to be in touch with your friends and family, especially if they have been through depression before or even if they are highly empathetic. Of course, take care of yourself first. 

What are your views on celebrity depression? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.