Words of advice to those struggling with depression

Being an award-winning depressionist myself my heart goes out to the @Bourdain family and close ones. I also get it. Being away from the ones you love when the darkness hits is brutal. I hope his spirit has found the peace he was seeking and the ones he left behind find healing. pic.twitter.com/bC8JbOQTp3

— Rick Springfield (@rickspringfield) June 8, 2018

Rick Springfield’s Twitter response to the tragic news about Anthony Bourdain’s death was so meaningful, as RS both shows compassion for Bourdain’s family and loved ones, but also demonstrates that he understands what Bourdain went through, as it’s something that he’s dealt with for most of his life. (Was it wrong that the “award-winning depressionist” part cracked me up among all the sadness?)

Although Rick Springfield’s most recent CD “The Snake King” was such a shift from his previous music, it’s pretty amazing that somehow it seems to fit the mood of the world lately. As if his musical spirit was saturated by all the things going in on in the world and it came out through him in those songs. He’s already said that was the case for him personally, but lately it feels as if that tone fits the world in general.

That being said, perhaps some people who may be suffering from depression could benefit from some of the wisdom RS has shared about his depression:

People magazine: “‘Suicide Manifesto’ is stuff I think about. I’ve been close to it,” he said about his forthcoming song from his new album, The Snake King. “When Robin Williams and Chester [Bennington and Chris Cornell] and those guys … I didn’t go, ‘Oh that’s terrible.’ I went, ‘I get it.’ I get being that lost and dark.”

Adding, “You’re in so much pain that you just want it to end. I have been there and I know what it’s like and I understand. It’s just part of your makeup.”

“I’ve taken Prozac and all that kind of stuff and I meditate. Meditation is the only thing that takes me out of it. If I truly meditate and focus and get to that place, I’m not depressed. No matter what’s going on. But it’s pretty hard,” he shared.

“I’m alive and well. Anyone says, ‘How you doing?’ I never go, ‘Great.’ Because it’s bulls—. I go, ‘I’m okay — I’m there.’ Sometimes I’ll go, ‘F—ing horrible, I’ve had a terrible day.’” Springfield said of talking to other people about his emotions.

“We’ve all had the social front and it just makes me feel like such a liar when I go home and I look in the mirror and I go, ‘Really, you said that to somebody? That everything’s great and you’re feeling awesome? That’s bulls—,’ ” he continued.

Adding, “I’m at the point now in my life where I want to do what’s truthful.”

Extra: As for what goes on in his head when he is hit with depression and suicidal thoughts, Rick shared, “You’re not trying to hurt anyone else. You’re not trying to hurt your family. You’re just trying to get away from the thing that you can’t get away from.”

“You know, you’re always kind of on the edge of the cliff with depression, and you gotta deal with it the way you do,” Springfield continued. “I’m doing my best to pursue the life that I want even though the hand drags me down every now and then.”

Look to the Stars: An accomplished actor, writer and Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Rick Springfield received the Beatrice Stern Media Award for his work as a mental health advocate who has openly talked about his depression and suicide attempt as teen. “I grew up thinking I’ve just got to become famous, successful, wealthy, have a house with a wife and kids and it (my depression) will all go away. In 1985, I had all those things and I wanted to kill myself. I realized the lie of fame right there—that it wasn’t going to heal me.”

Springfield’s award was presented by his longtime friend, Emmy-winning actor Doug Davidson who shared with the audience that he too, struggles with depression. “We all know 16 is a difficult time for anyone, and it was for Rick, too. He didn’t like the way he looked. He thought his ankles were too thin. He hated his nose. This is teenage angst. But by talking about it, he became a role model for teens everywhere. When you find out a rock superstar went through the same kind of angst and depression you’re going through, it helps you realize you can get through it, too.”

People magazine: Springfield —who has been married to his wife Barbara Porter, 56, for 33 years — says his family, including Liam, 32, and his younger son Josh, 28, help him remain thankful for his life.

“It’s like your heart beating. It’s something that’s there. I’m always aware of my family, absolutely, and the love that we have,” he says. “Being grateful is very important to trying to combat depression.”

Taking things day by day, Springfield hopes to one day forgive himself for his past mistakes and enjoy life a bit more with his loved ones.

“I look back on my regrets with great relish and my successes, not so much,” says the singer, who wrote about his multiple infidelities in his 2010 memoir Late, Late at Night. “In the end I’m always trying to prove my worth to myself which is what depression is all about.”

And this article on CBSnews.com from eight years ago, after the release of “Late, Late at Night”:

In the rash of recent teen suicides, Springfield, now 61, has a message for kids who feel as isolated and hopeless as he once did: Stick it out, it gets better.

“I know what it’s like,” he said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” “You just want out. You want the pain to stop. Give yourself a year. Your life will change.” …

As for his message to teens on the edge: “Nothing remains the same,” he says. “I would have missed out on a lot of amazing stuff in my life.”