I was saddened this morning when I heard the news about Linkin Park’s lead singer, Chester Bennington. He was found dead at a private residence from an apparent suicide, aged 41.
According to reports, his wife and six children were not present at the scene when it happened and his body was discovered by a housekeeper, soon after which, police officers showed up.
This has left his family, friends and millions of fans around the globe shocked and heartbroken. Chester was a really talented, beloved and successful artist but had a somewhat difficult life battling depression, alcoholism and drug addiction.
The singer had previously hinted in his songs and interviews that he was not at a good place in life and might have been suffering from mental health issues. In fact, in his last interview, he had talked about his battles with depression.
Depression - The Extreme Low of Life
Being in depression is quite literally the extreme low of life that anybody can face. It is a constant battle with your own mind where you have nothing but pain and suffering.
Most people who suffer from depression feel as though they are lost and out of control and each day feels worse than the previous one and life itself starts becoming a burden and almost like a prison.
Therefore we hear many instances of these people committing suicide as their “way out”. In their mind it’s the only and a permanent solution for all their misery.
It’s heart breaking to see many people take this option but there are a lot more who defeat their demons and turn their life around in the most heroic ways and it is these people who should be seen as examples.
Suicide Is Not The Answer
No matter how lost or confused one might feel, there is always a way. Even in the darkest of rooms there is a tiny sliver of light and if one wishes, they can find the same in their lives too.
People often forget that time is the ultimate healer. Things always change. That’s the nature of reality itself. Not everything remains the same. After a dark night, the day is sure to come.
One can always seek help from family, friends, colleagues or heck even the various services that have opened up that pertain to this particular issue.
Suicide is never the answer. The story ends for the person who commits it but the mountain of pain he or she leaves behind for their loved ones is for them to bear and that, in my opinion, is just not fair.
From The Heart
I grew up listening to Linkin Park’s songs. In fact, my interest in music and me learning to sing and play the guitar was because of bands like Linkin Park.
Songs like Numb, In the end, What I’ve done, Bleed It Out, had huge influence on me as a teenager and they still take me back on a nostalgic path, whenever I listen to them.
The world really has lost a great artist today. Rest in peace Chester. Your music shall forever be in our hearts.
Image Credits 1, 4 (The rest are taken from the public domain.)