The tragic deaths of designer Kate Spade and foodie Anthony Bourdain have saddened many people across the nation, including General Hospital's Bryan Craig (Morgan Corinthos). And the actor, who has won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his portrayal of a young man that suffers from bipolar disorder, is using the devastating events as a platform to speak out about mental health issues.
"With all the recent passings due to mental illness I felt the need to post something," Craig shared on Instagram. "Even though I don't suffer from this in real life, I have close friends and family that do. I was given the honor of playing a character that brought awareness to the issue of bipolar disorder and depression. I learned a lot throughout this process. Weighs heavy on my heart hearing about all the current losses due to depression and mental illness, and these are just the ones we hear of because they were people in the public eye. Unfortunately, there are many more."
He continues: "All I can speak on the matter is that you should never be ashamed to get help. It could save your life and the people who love and care about you. The world needs you because there is only one you. You're strong. Remember that."
In addition to the words of support and encouragement, Craig posted a video of his acceptance speech from the 2017 Daytime Emmy Awards, where he took home his second trophy for his portrayal of his broken GH alter ego.
"I share this with anybody who suffers from mental illness," he said on stage after his win. "This was more than just a storyline for me. We brought awareness to this. The biggest reward was having people come up and saying that we helped them get help. I mean, that was amazing. So, we hear you."
Craig starred on GH from 2013 to 2016, at which point he left the ABC soap to pursue other projects. He made a brief return appearance for a powerful standalone episode centered on Ava (Maura West) in January of this year. His most recent project is Eva Longoria's nighttime soap Grand Hotel.
Craig's longtime on-screen father, Maurice Benard, who struggles with bipolar disorder in real life and whose GH alter ego, Sonny Corinthos, also has the disorder, took to social media with some thoughts following Spade and Bourdain's suicides, as well. In short, he urges those with mental health issues to try to seek help without reservations or fear.
"I'd like to say a few words about the recent deaths," he says in an Instagram video post. "Mental illness, bipolar, anxiety, depression... sometimes the pain can be unbearable, but it's never too unbearable to ask for help. I think that's the most important thing, that there are organizations, [or you can] go to your friends, your wife, your husband, your loved ones, and just say, ‘I need help.'"
Both Spade and Bourdain died from suicide, which has sparked national coverage about mental health issues.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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