So sad. She had a law degree and an MBA and had been nominated for two Emmys. 
Really tragic.
I have been saddened by the number of young celebrities/children of celebrities who have taken their own lives recently. Our country has a huge mental health crisis, and the system has not caught up to the need for more readily available assistance.
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I didnât even know of her but was greatly bothered by this story/news. 
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Celebrities such as this have ample resources to obtain private mental health support if they so choose. Sad that she did not avail herself of it, but lack of mental health resources was not likely a problem.
Money doesnât buy happiness or even treatment when there is stigma attached to it. A nationwide mental health crisis does not just boil down to $$$.
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Where I live, it is currently taking people over 8 months on a waiting list to get in with psychiatrists at the nearby major medical center ⌠Itâs not just about money or insurance.
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There is also a dire shortage of psychiatrists. One of my closest friends has been struggling with severe depression the last few months. She is very well off. She tried to find a doctor a couple of months ago but the closest appointment she could get was this week. Her PCP prescribed some meds that made me scratch my head.
Her husband didnât want to leave her alone even long enough to go out for pizza. A few weeks ago, she deteriorated enough she was admitted to the psych hospital. It was challenging for her family and doctors to convince her to stay and get treatment, but she did. She even had electro convulsive therapy sessions. Those did the trick and she is much improved. But we are damned lucky sheâs still alive. It really does not matter how much money you have. âCrisisâ isnât a strong enough word for our countryâs situation. NAMI Maine is literally begging its trained people to lead classes for families of military members who are struggling. They ask that the leaders have a connection to a military member, which I donât, so I canât volunteer.
If you can, please donate to your state chapter of NAMI (the money will be used more efficiently than if itâs given to the national organization) or other agencies you know are reputable.
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It matters a great deal how much money one has. I support greater public resources for mental health, but the wealthy in Manhattan shouldnât be on anyoneâs top priority list for allocation of such resources. There are counselors available on a cash-only, no insurance accepted basis for those who can afford it and extraordinarily expensive private treatment facilities throughout the country for those with means.
You havenât been on the journey I have. Even those expensive treatment centers have very long waiting lists. I know.
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I will say one more thing and then leave it. The woman killed herself. The system obviously failed her. Half of people with severe mental illness donât believe they are ill. Itâs part of the illness. To blame the person for not getting help displays a profound ignorance of mental illness.
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My D21 met her. I was just looking at the picture of the 2 of them together. I havenât told my D and am hopeful she wonât hear about it. My heart hurts for her and her family.
I have more experience in this than you might expect,@mainelonghorn. And in my area, yes, one can get admitted to world class psychiatric facilities the next day if the situation warrants. Suicide is sad ( as is homelessness, drug abuse, and a variety of other public health challenges) but we are unlikely to ever have a public health system that pushes treatment onto the functional but unwilling wealthy, so I do not think the âsystem failed themâ. My sympathy is focused on the poor or rural who can not access treatment due to lack of money or access.
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I am a bit unclear on what you would like âthe systemâ to do to a fully functional well educated adult who chooses not to seek medical treatment?
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I understand what you are saying, even if I donât entirely agree. The delivery seems harsh.
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My SIL had great insurance, but she was unable to get my nephew the assistance he needed when he had a breakdown. My friend worked doggedly to get her S into inpatient treatment, but it is not helpful for a bipolar patient in crisis when the inpatient therapy is geared toward drug addiction ⌠group sessions that focus on the needs of the addicted did nothing to help him. When my S needed a therapist, the hoops necessary to access a therapist were too much for someone who is experiencing severe anxiety. Luckily, he allowed me to assist. Our whole health care system is a mess, but mental health is in a particular dumpster fire ⌠and it appears to be getting worse rather than better.
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So how about we just keep this thread respectful at this point, grieving for the loss of lifeâŚ
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Two years ago this month D2 lost a friend that she had known since she was 6 years old to suicide. He was 25 and bipolar. His mother tried for years to get him help.
Fourteen months ago I lost a friend of more than 20 years to suicide. She had been suffering for years from depression and had been admitted to an inpatient program in the summer of 2020. She was an extremely private person and most of us that knew her did not know of her struggles.
Our mental health system is a mess and it has become increasingly difficult during the pandemic to find a therapist or psychiatrist. I did not know who this young woman was, but my heart breaks for her and her family.
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I donât know if the system failed her. In this article she discusses seeing a counselor:
This woman was very intelligent, sought out help and still took her own life. We may never know why. It may not be just routine mental illness.
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This.
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