Opinion | How Ellen Loo, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain should inspire those with mental illness to seek help
Paul Yip and Daniel Lung say the conversation around celebrity suicides should focus on the complexity of causes leading to people taking their own lives and the value of reaching out for help
Just as with the rehabilitation process of other illnesses, the road to recovery from mental illnesses is bumpy, with relapses always a possibility. These include sudden and unprovoked depressive moods and poor thinking ability, among others. These conditions are sometimes more difficult to understand and to empathise with than physical pain, with the ups and downs sometimes leading patients to feel helpless and discouraged.
To support people who experience such episodes, we should try to affirm the positive progress they have made. Moreover, they need additional attention and support so that they feel we are walking with them during the tough times.