A Most Preventable Death     

   Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain both were highly successful people. In the past, Karl Rove's mother had ended her own life, as did the father of another political activist, David Axelrod. 

   There were suicides among my ancestors, well before my birth.

   Normally, Rove said, nobody sees it coming. Someone can be optimistic one day and end it the next. The rich and famous do it. 

   Suicide may result from depression, anxiety, addiction and other mental disorders. We've heard of suicide by cop. Young people, like Tony Dungy's son, are vulnerable. 

   The CDCP found that many people quit on life during relationship, physical or financial problems. 

   Rove says family and friends feel a sense of guilt, but they aren't responsible. Axelrod wrote of the mistaken attitude that depression is a character flaw, rather than illness. He believes that's what kept his father, a psychologist, from seeking help.

   Who of us would refuse life-saving treatment of a physical illness? Yet, people stay mum when their depression comes with a stigma - mental illness.

   Rove urges his readers to "ask for help, before taking action from which there is no return." 

   The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. The website SpeakingOfSuicide.com offers resources. Talk to someone! Dial 911! 

   Many people who try, later on are quite happy they failed. We saw a man on TV this week who knew the instant he jumped, it was a mistake. Obviously, he survived. 

   Along with Spade and Bourdain, 863 other Americans took their lives last week (123/day).

   Rove adds, "There will be family members, a colleague, neighbor or friend who will miss you more than you know. Despair can be overwhelming, but it is not permanent." 

   "Remember," he adds, "you are precious in the eyes of God and those who love you." 

       Jimmy