This one hit me hard. Maybe harder than Weiland. At least with Weiland there was a lead up and we could see it coming. This came almost entirely out of the blue.
Someone posted a few months back theorizing he'd fallen of the bandwagon, and I'd realized then how terrible it would be to lose him. It's terrible that's become a reality.
There is something very odd too with some of these successful celebrities that commit suicide. It's like they wanna end their lives while they are at the pinnacle of their careers.
It is weird, but I tend to believe they do it despite being at the pinnacle of their careers. On the outside, it looks like they have every reason in the world to live, but on the inside it is a struggle just to get through each day without ending their lives. I think that people who suffer with this kind of severe depression for long enough get so accustomed to "faking it" and putting on a good face for everyone else that what they do everyday (like fronting a highly successful rock band) is easy for them while pretending to have it all together.
Depression unfortunately isn't as simple as people think it is. Just because someone suffers depression doesn't mean they can't feel happiness. Often times they can get through much of the day feeling relatively normal and happy, but then latter on when they're alone at their home (or hotel room) the depression sinks in.
After the highs of a rock concert, someone suffering depression and/or anxiety can have a hell of a down. That's why many performers turn to alcohol and drugs, to combat the depression following the high of a performance. According to what Chris' wife , Cornell had said he'd taken one or two extra Ativan, a drug commonly proscribed for intense anxiety attacks... Unfortunately, in patients with a history of depression Ativan can also cause an increased risk of suicide.
I suspect Cornell was legitimately happy and excited throughout the concert and the day leading up to it, but the the comedown from the adrenaline and endorphins after the concert caused an anxiety attack, and he took too many Ativan which caused a deeper depression... That's just my take, but I'm not a doctor or a forensic expert.
