On the Passing of Coco Lee

Yesterday, as some of you know, Coco Lee passed away.

She attempted to unalive herself on July 2nd after suffering from depression. The doctors did their best but she succumbed ultimately yesterday on July 5th.

Why would someone like her who seemingly had fame, fortune, and pretty much everything in the world do that?

I've been a fan of her music so to hear that she passed away by her own means left me speechless.

I've not been following her private life but I caught up and found out she had been in and out of the hospital. Her marriage was on the rocks. She even did the right thing and sought professional help.

No matter how successful she was at one point... in recent years, it all built up and finally imploded in a final act.

I have never been diagnosed with depression but I definitely have my own battles.

People who are thinking of doing something finalistic usually try to wrap things up by suddenly being very friendly, by randomly catching up with people and saying good things, basically, not being their normal selves.

If you have a friend that became like that, pay attention because it could be an important moment.

If you're battling with it yourself, do something productive like working out, working for a bigger goal that fulfills you, serve others... keep the attention away from looking at what you lack instead focus on what you have.

These early and simple steps can help.

Do not wait till things are breaking down to start taking care of yourself.

You as a person - you're made of body, soul, and spirit. And when 1/3 of your being is broken down, the other 2 will definitely be affected.

You must take care of yourself because you are the only person who is most aware of your situation.

Don't expect others to magically understand what you're going through, because no one else can.

You must be your own cheerleader and supporter.

And if you need someone to talk to, your closest friends can now seem like the people who you cannot talk to anymore.

If you have the courage too, please tell someone you trust the gravity of how you're feeling.

If you don't, please call these numbers and have a chat with someone to talk things through.

• Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444
• Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
• CHAT @ *SCAPE: (+65) 6493 6500, (+65) 6493 6501
• SAF Counselling Hotline: 1800-278-0022

Suicide is not a brave & selfless act, it is a harmful & selfish act that creates permanent damage while leaving others to deal with the loss.

This is a hard sentence to write because I love Coco.

Statistically, women have higher rates of depression than men. And men have higher rates of suicide compared to women.

Both are not ideal situations.

So, please.

Take care of yourself.