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Could medical treatment have saved Bourdain’s life? Maybe, but I doubt it. If this were possible, Ernest Hemingway, a famous author, and Philip Graham, owner of the Washington Post newspaper, both treated at a famous clinic, would still be alive. Great wealth and expensive care cannot heal a brain that’s dedicated to eventual self-destruction. Moreover, some victims never reveal their inner thoughts to anyone. And an Arizona study showed that 80% of successful suicides visited a doctor one month prior to self-inflicted death!

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Some suicide victims believe they will be reunited with a loved one. This is proven by the fact that the anniversary of a devoted partnership is a high risk period for suicide.

Possible suicide should be suspected if a person claims to be a burden, talks about suicide, has increased anxiety, increased alcohol or drug use, sleeps too much, expresses hopelessness, or withdraws from activities.

I wish I knew why spring is the favourite time for suicide. But Torontonians usually kill themselves in the fall. And why do Toronto males tend to commit suicide on Sunday and women on Monday? There are many unanswered questions.

I also wish I knew why Bourdain, who had fame and fortune, was so depressed that he hung himself in a hotel room in France while working on another episode of Parts Unknown. His brain must have been in the throes of unbearable turmoil to give up so much of a productive life.

Fortunately, most people, even those tired of life, struggle on. As Shakespeare wrote in his play, Hamlet, “The fear of something after death, the undiscovered country from which no bourn returns, puzzles the will, and makes us bear those ills we have, than fly to others we know not of.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The column does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure disease. Please contact your doctor. The information provided is for informational purposes only and are the views solely of the author. See Docgiff.com. For comments; info@docgiff.com