Stephen ‘’Twitch’’ Boss’s fans from all over the world are still reeling from the news that the 40-year-old reportedly took his own life on Tuesday, December 12.
The beloved dancer and DJ had a thriving career and had accumulated wealth for himself. According to societal norms, these are the conventional indicators of success and to an extent, of happiness and mental well-being.
Twitch was known mostly known for his work on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and was reportedly found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a hotel.
Some social media users and friends of Twitch have said that by all accounts the family man appeared happy and was positive about life.
Man, I’m going to miss this guy. My heart breaks for his family. There was nothing but light and positivity radiating from him every time we spent time together.
RIP Twitch pic.twitter.com/8uFtbXjjPb
But there is always more than what meets the eye when it comes to an individual’s mental health, according to celebrity clinical psychologist Nozibusiso Nyawose.
‘’Mental health issues are rarely physical so it becomes difficult to spot them. Because they start off as being psychological, only the person going through them fully knows how they are being affected,’’ said Nyawose.
She said people in the limelight try to cover up their mental bruises or other issues by always being the happy-go-lucky person in whatever room they are in. But, the reality is that away from the spotlight they could be in mental anguish.
Twitch and his wife JUST celebrated their anniversary 3 days ago 💔😭 pic.twitter.com/gatoM3WYsY
— Erin Alexandria (@ThatShyGirlErin) December 14, 2022
Twitch was married and had three young children. Nyawose said people always ask themselves why the person who died by suicide did not open up to their spouses and families.
Additionally, they may also ask why the deceased did not think of how the family would feel before committing the act.
‘’But that is what (a) mental health (condition) does, it cuts off your awareness of reality. It stops you from seeing that there is a light the end of the tunnel. It becomes so bad that you absolutely feel that there is no way out except suicide.’’
If people speak up about mental health issues, especially men, they are often deemed weak or they themselves have the fear that they will be seen as weak, she explained.
Although it is not easy to see that someone has a mental condition that is affecting them, the wellness expert warned that you must be on the lookout for these signs:
- They start being on the edge all the time.
- They show signs of anhedonia. This means they stop being interested in things that used to bring them joy. It is one of the main signs of depression.
- They becoming irritable.
- Avolition. They start having a lack of motivation or ability to do tasks such as paying bills or going to work.
- They become withdrawn and isolate themselves from family and friends.
- Others may stop showing up at work, with their performance declining.
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