An attack on Sinéad O’Connor is an attack on us.
Comments like these are almost rampant on Facebook and throughout the internet, and they are visible enough to hurt. They began appearing following the Irish singer-songwriter’s most recent breakdown. And it only takes one comment like this to break a fragile human being with mental illness.
O’Connor shared an emotional, near-suicidal 12-minute video on her personal Facebook page last week, just the latest cry for help from the “Nothing Compares 2 U” icon. The singer has had a rough time of it, to put it lightly, dealing with a dual diagnosis of PTSD and depression.
The video she shared is absolutely heartbreaking. It was filmed in her New Jersey Travelodge motel room, where the singer said she is now living. In the video, she states that her family has abandoned her and that she feels like the internet is the only place she can turn to for reassurance and help. She thinks that only her therapist and her psychiatrist care about her.
The Lowlifes, The Mental Illness Deniers, The Jesus Freaks, The Fake-News-Accusers — they’ve all come out from their hiding places to attack O’Connor, posting cowardly comments on Facebook and on various online magazine articles.
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This is sick. A woman cries out for help and all some people have to say about it is “so be it” and “too bad, so sad.” Or even that she should go ahead and “end it” and die.
These comments floating around the internet exemplify exactly what NOT to say to someone who is depressed or suicidal. I only hope that Sinéad has not seen these despicable comments.
Here’s just some more of the comments found on various corners on the internet.
Some bring political vitriol into the mix.
“She’s suffering from a mental disease known as liberalism.”
And religion.
“Sinéad, I don’t know what your beliefs are hunny, but Jesus can redeem you, He will heal you in every possible way.”
With the recent suicide deaths of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave, we have seen troubled celebrities take their own lives because of major depressive episodes. But for some reason, O’Connor — who suffers from the same symptoms — is a punching bag.
Is it because she is female? Because she tore up a picture of the Pope live on SNL way back in 1992? Regardless of the reason, it makes me sick to my stomach to read such daggers aimed directly at her heart. It’s as if these commenters want her dead. And that’s evil, hostile, and toxic.
If you have a pulse, you can see the pain on O’Connor’s face in the video. You can feel her hurt. Her crying resounds with a dissonance that is the opposite of her beautiful singing voice. The burden. The strife. The emptiness. All of it can be gleaned from this desperate video.
It’s not fake. These are emotions and they are REAL. Her depression is so strong that it feels as if it’s pulling you to the bottom of the ocean with her.
No doubt, O’Connor’s celebrity makes her particularly susceptible to this lack of empathy. Like many of us who are bipolar or struggling with depression, O’Connor is a sensitive soul. But despite the fact that she is a celebrity, she is first and foremost a human being.
The vile commenters don’t understand the severity of mental illness and how difficult it is to lead one’s life in the face of depression and adversity.
An unknown person posted on Sinéad’s Facebook wall the following message on Monday: “Hi everybody, I am posting at Sinead’s request, to let everyone who loves her know she is safe, and she is not suicidal. She is surrounded by love and receiving the best of care. She asked for this to be posted knowing you are concerned for her. I won’t respond to any questions, so please understand. I hope this comforts those of you were concerned.”
Singer Annie Lenox of the Eurythmics issued a statement of dismay on Tuesday: “I realize that Sinéad has some serious mental health issues, but she appears to be completely out on a limb and I’m concerned for her safety…. Are there no close friends or family who could be with her to give her some loving support? It’s terrible to see her in such a vulnerable state.”
O’Connor has attempted suicide in the past, on her thirty-third birthday in 1999. Her PTSD stems from her childhood, when her mother sexually molested her. She posted a troubling, lengthy note on Facebook in 2015, expressing sentiments similar to the ones in her video.
“I have taken an overdose. There is no other way to get respect,” she said back then. She was found safe and sound.
And safe and sound she is again, posting a new message on Facebook Thursday that reads in part…
In part of the video, she shares an important lesson.
“People who suffer from mental illness are the most vulnerable people on Earth,” she says. “You’ve got to take care of us. We’re not like everybody.”
Don’t we know it. Sinéad, like you said in your video, you are #OneOfMillions. We stand with you.
Watch the entirety of Sinéad O’Connor’s video below…
