Image Source: Wikipedia, Short Biography, Billboard, Time Magazine, Dreamstime.com

Suicide is a major mental health problem around the world, and it may affect anyone, whether they are regular people like you and me or celebrities. When it comes to celebrity suicides, many people have wondered what may have prompted them to make such a decision, given their celebrity and celebrity status. The explanation is simple: they are first and foremost human beings, and mental health concerns do not discriminate between rich and famous people and ordinary people.

Here are a few celebrities who have passed away due to suicide.

Robin Williams: In August 2014, Academy Award-winning actor Robin Williams committed suicide in his California home. The actor was discovered with a belt around his neck, and after further investigation, it was revealed that there were cuts on his left wrist. Robin struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction early in his career and later struggled with mental health issues. His widow was shocked when rumors of him relapsing into his old habits surfaced, as he was sober eight years before his death. She explained, "It infuriated me when the media said he’d been drinking, because I know there are recovering addicts out there who looked up to him, people dealing with depression who looked up to him, and they deserve to know the truth. It was not depression that killed Robin. Depression was one of, let’s call it 50, symptoms, and it was a small one."

Robin Williams and Susan Schneider Williams. Image Source: The Economic Times

Robin Williams had "Lewy Body Dementia," about which he had no idea. It is a devastating and debilitating brain disease that shares characteristics with both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Since it was discovered, his widow, Susan Schneider Williams, has made it her mission to not only learn but also educate people about the disease.

Chester Bennington: The frontman of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, passed away by suicide in July 2017. According to reports, the two-time Grammy-winning artist hanged himself in Palos Verdes Estates. Chester’s wife and now widow, Talinda Bennington, opened up about his battle with depression and how the death of Chris Cornell, who was Chester’s close friend, deeply affected him. Talinda said during the Canadian Event Safety Summit, "My husband had had a past... in the past, he had attempted suicide, but I thought to myself. It was because he was wasted. He was this or that. So before he did pass, I thought very naively, we were in the clear. We had a very, very dear friend, Chris Cornell, take his own life. And I felt that "Okay, Chester sees what Vicky and their kids’— we’re godparents to their children what they’re going through and this will never happen."

Chester and Talinda Bennington. Image Source: PEOPLE

In a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Chester opened up about his abusive childhood and said, "When I was young, getting beaten up and pretty much raped was no fun. No one wants that to happen to you, and honestly, I don’t remember when it started... My God, no wonder I became a drug addict. No wonder I just went completely insane for a little while. " The singer’s widow has taken it upon herself to not only educate herself but everyone about mental health struggles and help as much as she can. Talinda told CNN, "I am now more educated about those signs, but they were definitely there: the hopelessness, the change of behavior, isolation. It's a lifetime of building blocks to unhealthy emotional and mental behavior and emotional pain. If we can find good coping mechanisms, if we have people we trust that we can talk to, that helps us to make better choices for ourselves. And my husband didn't have that in a lot of situations.”

Kurt Cobain: Kurt Cobain, frontman of the legendary band Nirvana, committed suicide in his Seattle home in April 1994. The singer was found by electrician Gary Smith, who had arrived at his house to install a security system and found him with a gunshot wound to the head. After investigation, it was revealed that a high concentration of heroin and a small amount of diazepam were also found in Kurt’s body.

Kurt Cobain, Frances and Courtney Love. Image Source: The Rolling Stones

A suicide note that was found near his body was addressed to his imaginary friend Boddha, and it read, "For too many years now, I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with reading and writing, for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things. For example, when we're backstage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowd begins, it doesn't affect me the way that it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I admire and envy.” The note also addressed his wife and one-year-old daughter, saying, "I have a goddess of a wife who sweats ambition and empathy and a daughter who reminds me too much of what I used to be, full of love and joy, kissing every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm. And that terrifies me to the point where I can barely function. I can't stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable, self-destructive, death rocker that I've become. " The singer lastly wrote, "Frances and Courtney, I'll be at your altar. Please keep going, Courtney, for Frances. For her life, which will be so much happier without me. "

Avicii (Tim Bergling): The famous DJ Avicii, who revolutionized electronic dance music and collaborated with many of the world’s greatest artists, passed away in April 2018 by suicide while he was on vacation in Oman. His parents started the Tim Bergling Foundation after his passing to advocate for the recognition of suicide as a global health emergency and educate people about mental health struggles.

Tim Bergling or popularly known as DJ Avicii. Image Source: Teen Vogue

Before Tim passed away, in a documentary, he shared about his anxiety, depression, and addiction and said, "Everyone knows that I've been anxious about everything and that I've been trying." In 2012, it was revealed that he was hospitalized for 11 days with acute pancreatitis, a condition associated with excessive drinking. In 2016, Avicii announced his permanent retirement from performing live, and in 2017 Tim responded to Mike Posner’s ‘I Took A Pill in Ibiza’ lyric, stating "Mike’s a good friend, so I took it as an honor. And I agree – parties can be amazing, but it’s very easy to become too attached to partying in places like Ibiza. You become lonely and get anxious. It becomes toxic." His parents described him as "a determined guy. He went all-in”.

If you need help, please reach out to someone soon.