Quote:
Originally Posted by raven
I remember around the time it was very vague with allusion to, as you mention, him being found at his flat in a bad way after a day or two of it being difficult to get hold of him. I remember they specifically stayed away from any mention of attempted suicide. I remember because I found it odd because I couldn't see any other reason why he would have been taken straight into a psychiatric unit. You pretty much have to kill yourself or another to be admitted....another utter failure of our mental health system leaving people until the last minute.
Maybe the point though is that he himself never referred to the incident as such which seems fair now to conclude was because he didn't want to talk about it to the press or maybe to admit to it (call me Sherlock). Which is understandable. People seemed to hold him up as some kind of spokesperson for self harm, for anorexia, for self abuse. You can call them the 'cult of Richey' but I always found something a little snide in that response too to be blunt. Though it was a perception I always struggled with really because to me he didn't seem like someone who'd been through it but more someone who was going through it and to expect help from such a person whether you know them or whether it's from a distance they're bound to fail you - kind of like the analogy of the drowning man - he can't save you if you're drowning too nor give you an objective perspective beyond 'we're fucked' essentially. (having said that I do appreciate he had insight to offer and I think it was quite something how he could write about the personal through the eyes of another ie 4st7lbs. It is remarkable. But he was never going to be anyone's saviour. The illness and problems he had wrecked him, to my mind, they got in the way of all he had to offer and speaking just personally I've always resented the dwelling on that side of him. Cult of Richey or not I thought it reduced him, took away from him)
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Maybe because Richey's managed to make something positive out of it with his writing and lyrics. That's not to say there are those who are interested solely in the aestethics, but speaking for myself, Richey's interview quotes and lyrics gave articulation to something rarely discussed behind closed doors let alone in public. Seemingly he managed to find strength in weakness and make something beautiful out of something wretched, and in the end for some of us, hope. Hope that horrible things churning inside could be used for creation rather than self destruction. I know it turned out terminal for Richey in the end, but his intellect and art shine a light in some of my darkest days still.
This is said from an angle of getting to know his work after he had died. If he was alive today, I'd rather he be getting help, sleeping well and waking up happy rather than having reasons to write JPFL 2.