Andrea, this is so stunningly poignant and beautiful. Much love to you. Thank you for sharing a tiny part of your brother’s story, and yours with him. As a dietitian, I certainly get irritated by nutrition misinformation, but as someone with mental illness, I get red-faced infuriated by mental health misinformation. You already know how deeply I appreciate you. Your work is a gift. Keep fighting.
Andrea, thank you for sharing this. This is a profound message on so many different levels. It also gives a lot of context to your very obvious passion in everything that you do.
Dr. Love, thank you for sharing this deeply personal and important piece. Your insights into how misinformation fuels stigma and discourages people from seeking life-saving treatment resonate strongly.
Your advocacy for science-based mental health care is vital. Brian’s story is heartbreaking, but your commitment to fighting misinformation is a testament to the love and determination that endure. Thank you for using your voice to make a difference.
My condolences. My daughter has now been gone longer than she was alive(13) and it is un fathomable. Thank you for sharing…it always helps to know that others share these thoughts. My sincere condolences. And thank you for the fight you fight- it’s personal here too.
Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal story. I suffer from anxiety and major depression, too. I can't imagine the depth of your pain with the additional suffering of your brother's suicide.
RFK Jr. will do immense damage to the people of this country. His talk about SSRI and ADHD meds, his antivax propaganda, plus the chilling talk about "health camps" makes me fear for my grandchildren. Thank you for continuing to fight.
I totally agree that grief changes a person. Not necessarily good or bad. Just different. My husband died and then my 39 year old son. Each grief path has been different.
My mother committed suicide, in 1974 when it was absolutely taboo, as was any discussion of mental illness. There wasn`t a "grief" section in the bookstore -- even for "regular" deaths. As a surviving loved one, you were on your own. And encouraged to stay that way. My father gripped my shoulder at the funeral and said, "Do not make your problems your friends` problems." He was worried about the discomfort of the other girls in my college dorm?
Many decades and many realizations later, I am still amazed how many people have been through this. Mental illness is shockingly common. Or maybe I need to stop being shocked...
Thank you for sharing this harrowing and vital part of your life, Dr. Love. It gives us more context behind your mission to combat misinformation and provides new emotional depths around your informative substack.
Brian's unfortunate trajectory was marked first and foremost by a neurochemical imbalance, which is why I always say to myself: "that could have been me". To think that these people who've been dealt an unlucky hand must navigate a society that thrives on misinformation so that a tiny group of people can make personal gains is unspeakably horrifying. This is what decades of deregulation, and bipartisan policy look like. Make no mistake that RFK Jr is fully aware of his actions, but his sadism and internal rot cements a total indifference to the wellbeing of others. To take it a step further, I'd wager he even relishes the idea of causing suffering in others.
This is what makes our society "passively" violent; RFK Jr. already has blood on his hands, as well as any other bad actor looking to misguide the public for profit motives. You are the other side of the coin, and for that I am beyond grateful for you.
I once had my doctor tell me that his neighbor had died by suicide, and he just didn't understand it.
I told him, "That's OK doc, you're not supposed to understand it. That's a good thing."
However, I could *totally* understand it. It was just by a fortuitous mix of meds, therapy, and several other interventions, some intentional and some serendipitous, that I was still around to tell him that.
Hugs to you, my dear Dr. Love. May you and everyone else never fully understand it.
Your courage to share your story is so inspiring. For those of us who suffer from depression Md believe the medication is helpful—we applaud your commitment to science. Continue to do so—you inspire so many!
I wept. I really don’t know why. My life has not needed to deal with what yours has. I got glued to this piece as though it had.
I’m still reacting and that feels as though it makes sense. It’s too strong to ignore but you appear to have rung bells in my head that I don’t believe reside there.
As a result I have subscribed. I’ll reread this in a while and see where it lands.
Dr. Love, I'm so sorry about your loss. It strikes a nerve with me when someone downplays or dismisses mental illness. Seven years ago I dealt with two tragedies to my wife and my mother. Both sustained critical brain injuries and unfortunately my mother's was Stage IV glioblastoma that took her life in a little over a year. I hadn't sought therapy or medication until that year. It didn't take away my anxiety, but it helped me become more balanced. Rather than just continuing to fall, I was able to stop and re-calibrate myself. There were several times that year I had thoughts of self harm and there are still times I do. However, I have been fortunate enough to have found the resources to help me through my life. I don't know where I would be without them today.
Andrea, this is so stunningly poignant and beautiful. Much love to you. Thank you for sharing a tiny part of your brother’s story, and yours with him. As a dietitian, I certainly get irritated by nutrition misinformation, but as someone with mental illness, I get red-faced infuriated by mental health misinformation. You already know how deeply I appreciate you. Your work is a gift. Keep fighting.
Andrea, thank you for sharing this. This is a profound message on so many different levels. It also gives a lot of context to your very obvious passion in everything that you do.
Dr. Love, thank you for sharing this deeply personal and important piece. Your insights into how misinformation fuels stigma and discourages people from seeking life-saving treatment resonate strongly.
Your advocacy for science-based mental health care is vital. Brian’s story is heartbreaking, but your commitment to fighting misinformation is a testament to the love and determination that endure. Thank you for using your voice to make a difference.
My condolences. My daughter has now been gone longer than she was alive(13) and it is un fathomable. Thank you for sharing…it always helps to know that others share these thoughts. My sincere condolences. And thank you for the fight you fight- it’s personal here too.
Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal story. I suffer from anxiety and major depression, too. I can't imagine the depth of your pain with the additional suffering of your brother's suicide.
RFK Jr. will do immense damage to the people of this country. His talk about SSRI and ADHD meds, his antivax propaganda, plus the chilling talk about "health camps" makes me fear for my grandchildren. Thank you for continuing to fight.
I totally agree that grief changes a person. Not necessarily good or bad. Just different. My husband died and then my 39 year old son. Each grief path has been different.
Bless you on this painful anniversary.
My mother committed suicide, in 1974 when it was absolutely taboo, as was any discussion of mental illness. There wasn`t a "grief" section in the bookstore -- even for "regular" deaths. As a surviving loved one, you were on your own. And encouraged to stay that way. My father gripped my shoulder at the funeral and said, "Do not make your problems your friends` problems." He was worried about the discomfort of the other girls in my college dorm?
Many decades and many realizations later, I am still amazed how many people have been through this. Mental illness is shockingly common. Or maybe I need to stop being shocked...
Before Prozac, I truly believed that my parents should not have reproduced.
Thank you for sharing this harrowing and vital part of your life, Dr. Love. It gives us more context behind your mission to combat misinformation and provides new emotional depths around your informative substack.
Brian's unfortunate trajectory was marked first and foremost by a neurochemical imbalance, which is why I always say to myself: "that could have been me". To think that these people who've been dealt an unlucky hand must navigate a society that thrives on misinformation so that a tiny group of people can make personal gains is unspeakably horrifying. This is what decades of deregulation, and bipartisan policy look like. Make no mistake that RFK Jr is fully aware of his actions, but his sadism and internal rot cements a total indifference to the wellbeing of others. To take it a step further, I'd wager he even relishes the idea of causing suffering in others.
This is what makes our society "passively" violent; RFK Jr. already has blood on his hands, as well as any other bad actor looking to misguide the public for profit motives. You are the other side of the coin, and for that I am beyond grateful for you.
I once had my doctor tell me that his neighbor had died by suicide, and he just didn't understand it.
I told him, "That's OK doc, you're not supposed to understand it. That's a good thing."
However, I could *totally* understand it. It was just by a fortuitous mix of meds, therapy, and several other interventions, some intentional and some serendipitous, that I was still around to tell him that.
Hugs to you, my dear Dr. Love. May you and everyone else never fully understand it.
PS -
Bad news: I canceled my paid subscription ☹️
Good news: Say hello to your newest Founding Member 😁
I'm so sorry.
So well said. I can’t imagine.
Your courage to share your story is so inspiring. For those of us who suffer from depression Md believe the medication is helpful—we applaud your commitment to science. Continue to do so—you inspire so many!
I wept. I really don’t know why. My life has not needed to deal with what yours has. I got glued to this piece as though it had.
I’m still reacting and that feels as though it makes sense. It’s too strong to ignore but you appear to have rung bells in my head that I don’t believe reside there.
As a result I have subscribed. I’ll reread this in a while and see where it lands.
Thank you. I wish you all of the very best.
I completely agree with all those that commented...could not say anything more supportive...hence I liked all the commentaries JJF 🇨🇦
Dr. Love, I'm so sorry about your loss. It strikes a nerve with me when someone downplays or dismisses mental illness. Seven years ago I dealt with two tragedies to my wife and my mother. Both sustained critical brain injuries and unfortunately my mother's was Stage IV glioblastoma that took her life in a little over a year. I hadn't sought therapy or medication until that year. It didn't take away my anxiety, but it helped me become more balanced. Rather than just continuing to fall, I was able to stop and re-calibrate myself. There were several times that year I had thoughts of self harm and there are still times I do. However, I have been fortunate enough to have found the resources to help me through my life. I don't know where I would be without them today.