You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 if you are struggling with mental health issues. If you want to help people dealing with mental health issues, visit 320 Changes Direction.
Late Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots singer Chester Bennington’s widow Talinda discussed his death recently at the Canadian Event Safety Summit.
“As Chester’s wife, of course you can only imagine the things that have gone through my head. What did I miss? What could I have done? As much as social media has been a huge support for me, I do every now and then get people blaming me, straight up blaming me, for him dying, for not saving him, for mistreating him. Who knows why these people behind their devices are saying these horribly cruel things to me.
It is a little stab in the heart, but what I have to remember is it’s not my fault, it’s not my children’s fault, it’s not the band’s fault, it’s nobody’s fault. It’s year of untreated mental health, which led to substance abuse, which led to unhealthy relationships, by the time I met him he was ready to be healthier.
My message I want to say to you is you have to be responsible for your own health. Please reach out to those you love, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you to be who you want to be. I’m still learning that, I’m still going through that. Of course I have my moments of, what could I have done differently? Our sweet son blames himself. He says, ‘Mom, we shouldn’t have gone on our trip. Dad would still be here.’ That breaks my heart, and that’s his journey to understand it’s not his fault either.”
