The pain and anguish
in the voice of actress Ashley Judd will trigger the painful memories of many others
who have faced the same tragic circumstance she and her family recently experienced.
In a recent Good Morning America (GMA) interview, she described for the first
time the shocking suicide of her mother, Country Music singer Naomi Judd. The unbearable
pain radiated from her heart as she explained to the Host, Diane Sawyer, how
her mother succumbed after a lifetime battle with mental illness. As a result,
she, and her sister Country Music singer Wynonna Judd, have joined with
countless others left behind to mourn as suicide survivors.
In the aftermath
of suicide, the ones closest to the victim begin to contemplate why it
occurred. With Naomi's success, her loved ones and fans are bewildered why someone
who appeared to have a perfect life would have a reason even to feel depressed.
The answer is complex; she had what her daughter Ashley described as a "savage
disease,
" leading to her tragic ending. As an advocate for all
those who suffer in silence, Naomi chronicled her struggle with mental illness
in her 2016 memoir, "River of time: My Descent into Depression and How
I Emerged with Hope, " which opened the eyes of many with awareness to
this invisible, misunderstood, and inevitably deadly disease.
It is essential
not to overlook Naomi Judd's courage in accepting her illness and fighting a
battle against a persistent condition. However, once diagnosed, it is a disease
with a life sentence of treatment and living with the constant fear of relapse
and still having the resiliency to move forward after the symptoms return. Her election
to the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with her daughter Wynonna, is a
testament to how hard she fought to overcome her affliction. Sadly, her death
took place just one day before her official induction.
While describing
her mother's plight, Ashley Judd spoke about the "Lies of the
disease" and how depression talks to its intended target, overwhelming
them with a barrage of negative sentiments that they are worthless and unloved.
These negative beliefs lead to the classic good vs. evil conflict, to live with
pain or the final solution of death to escape the suffering. This 'self-stigma'
contributes to the emotional burden as harmful and destructive thoughts begin
to control the victim's mind. When deeply depressed, one fear creates a dilemma:
we wake up to face another day of hopeless pain and fight
the relentless urge to end the suffering permanently.
During a 2018
interview with Megyn Kelly, Naomi Judd disclosed some of the root causes of her
depression. First, as a child, she was sexually molested; then, as a
22-year-old, she was raped. Though she achieved great professional success,
these traumatic events alone put her brain health on a destructive path. Study
after study has confirmed that those victims of sexual assault are at
significant risk for long-term mental health challenges. According to one
authorized by the 'National Violence Against Women Prevention Research
Center of the Medical University of South Carolina,' victims of sexual
assault are three times as likely to suffer major depression.
During this same
interview, Naomi disclosed that she had 'treatment-resistant depression,'
which led her to countless attempts to search psychopharmacology to find the
correct remedy. She even resorted to Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT), commonly
known as shock therapy, to find relief. Unfortunately, though all did bring
some reprieve, none became the long-term solutions she pursued to stop her
inner pain.
Whenever
discussing the subject of mental illness, the stigma associated with it enters
the spotlight. It is considered the four-letter word for these brain disorders; it
is often the most significant obstacle one faces with a diagnosis and can be an
overwhelming challenge to face. Unfortunately, many still view a diagnosis as a
character flaw or simply a sign of weakness. Inadvertently, society tends to
marginalize those afflicted by discussing from a macro point of view.
Discussions often center around statistics such as one in five Americans suffering
from one of these disorders or over fifty thousand Americans committing suicide
every year. Still, others reduce the victims as a product of faulty neuroscience
as they characterize the causes simply as neurotransmitters misfiring. Still,
others claim the individuals are struggling with some inner demons, which is
ample evidence that many do not grasp the biological nature of these
afflictions. Tragically, the death of someone with high stature like Naomi Judd
is a cold reminder that those suffering are people and often have struggled for
a long time before they finally surrender to the symptoms.
It was surprising
that Ashley Judd revealed that her mother often lived in some isolation despite
performing in front of tens of thousands of fans. One common trait among those
with a brain condition is they tend to hide their affliction, often out of
embarrassment. The best description comes from the late actor Robin Williams
who ended his life at his own hands. His words can quickly become a metaphor
for all of us, me included, who developed this invisible killer; "people
do not fake mental illness; they fake feeling well!" For Naomi's
adoring fans, she displayed great talent and a happy persona for the world to
witness. But, like many similarly afflicted, her soul was dying a slow, agonizing death.
As millions of us
who struggle with mental illness can attest, depression puts the individual in
a dark cellar of despair and hopelessness. It destroys self-worth and leaves
the person at the mercy of its relentless symptoms.
If her fans wish
to honor her memory, I can't think of a better way than to take the time to
understand mental illness, grasp that it is an actual illness, and remember all
the love in the world cannot cure a biologically based disorder. However, all
the understanding and emotional support can help one find a treatment that
works, they can live a good life, and most importantly, they can overcome all
the hazards in life. So always know that when a loved one is in crisis and
suffering, three words can be the difference between death and recovery. "JUST
BE THERE!"
Rest in peace, Naomi Judd; your courage should be part of your legacy, and the world is better because of you!
