Suicide – Are the ‘Rich and Famous’ Immune?
Posted on February 25, 2009
Filed Under East meets West, Guest Columnist | Leave a Comment
By Ronda Suder Flannery
“He has everything. He’s selfish to try to commit suicide,†I overheard someone say shortly after Owen Wilson’s attempt to commit suicide via drug overdose outside his Santa Monica, CA home in August 2007. But was he really being any more selfish, just because he’s famous, than anyone else who tries to commit suicide? The truth is, we cannot judge or even begin to know what’s really going on with someone, famous or not. A person could have all the riches and material things in the world, but it’s just that, all material. We have no clue what may be going on inside of them. Actors and famous people are human just like the rest of us. They get up every morning and put their pants on the same way the rest of us do (at least most of the time!). Famous people have emotions, family history and drama too, and being famous is not an immunization to being susceptible to suicidal thoughts and emotions.
Fame itself could be enough to drive someone to depression or suicidal thoughts. Though it is definitely a choice, being ‘famous’ puts one in the lime-light and often at risk of being followed and criticized by every move. Even an attempt to do something good is often easily turned around by a hungry journalist looking for a juicy scoop.
 The pressure put on the rich and famous to be perfect is challenging and because many don’t feel they can live up to these expectations, they often turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the feelings of inadequacy, and some continue down a path towards depression that is sometimes irreversible.  In addition, famous people are not immune to the psychological conditions that could effect any of us, like post partum depression, eating disorders and bi-polar disorder to name a few. When individuals struggle with these types of psychological disorders and are not able to get treatment with the appropriate results, it can often lead to suicide. Fortunately, stars like Brooke Shields who suffered from bi-polar disorder after the birth of her child, and Jim Carrey who suffered from bouts of depression earlier in life, were able to overcome these disorders. Other stars have not been so lucky.
Take Marilyn Monroe, for example. On the outside, she had it all; looks, fame and money. But we also know of the rumors of her alleged affair with John F Kennedy, her three failed marriages, and her childhood which consisted of being in and out of foster homes. Life happened to Miss Norma Jean, just as it does for everyone else, and in the end, a sad tragedy was the result. The rich and famous are indeed human, just like the rest of us, and as such, are no more or less likely to commit suicide. They should not be judged by outsiders looking in with assumptions that they ‘have it all†when we don’t know what’s going on with them on the inside.
About our Guest Columnist Ronda Suder from Houston, TX
I grew up in a 1-stop light town in WV swimming in rivers, swinging off of ropes and 4-wheeler riding for fun. I like adventure, having fun, and most consider me a perpetual learning. I value honesty and need to be comfortable in my own skin. I’ve learned that I need to surroud myself with people who impact my life in a positive way and will help me get to where I want to go, and vice versa, as I beleive in the old cliche of ‘mediocraty breeds mediocraty’ and I need more to achieve the life I want. Ronda is an actress, writer and an HR Manager with her Masters in Human Resources and Industrial Relations.
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