Chester Bennington Discusses His Depression 5 Months Before Committing Suicide
by Terry Heick
Mental health is important to me.
This isn’t a purely educational topic, but education is human and nothing is more human than contentment. I struggle with anxiety and depression, which I’ve written about many times–What Happened When I Tried To Teach Alone and The Source Of All Human Suffering, for example.
I’ve listened to Linkin Park for years, beginning with their ‘In The End’ rally video I first saw about ten years ago. When I heard last week that LP lead singer Chester Bennington committed suicide, it made for a rough several days for me.
Bennington was good friends with Chris Cornell, former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman more recently known for his acoustic covers (search YouTube for his cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U). Cornell committed suicide himself in May, and July 20th–the day Bennington took his own life–would’ve been his 52nd birthday.
In the interview above with WakingUpDad taken 5 months before his death, Bennington openly discusses his depression, and does so in such an articulate and lucid way that it’s both jarring and enlightening.
Hopefully this helps someone, somehow.
Video Description
In this video from an interview in Feb ’17, Chester Bennington expressing his cries for help. Hindsight is 20/20. At the time the interviewer and fans alike joked at his comments. Looking back, it’s clearly not a joking matter. Mental illness is a very serious issue, that is not to be over looked. It can take all forms. People you know may be going through similar situations. So next time you have someone pour their heart out to you, really listen to what they are saying. It may be a cry for help….. This is not a promo for WakingUpDad or WakingUpDad.net …. I am simply posting this as a long time fan of Chester and the group Linkin Park. I am just as shocked as everyone else and searching for answers as to why. In the video he clearly is telling us. We just didn’t listen. RIP Chester Bennington. You will be missed. Prayers to his family, wife and kids.
You can see the full interview here.
National Suicide Prevention Contact Information
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.