Heath Ledger Found Dead

By now you've most likely heard the news that actor Heath Ledger was found dead yesterday in his New York apartment at the young age of 28. When I first heard the news, I couldn't put his name with a face. I didn't know his career that well.

Reading news reports today, his autopsy is apparently inconclusive right now pending toxicology reports. It is said that there were sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications nearby, and it is thought to be an accidental overdose at this time.

This is not by any means a post against medications. Most who read this blog know that I use them personally. This is primarily a post about the pressure that people are under today to be someone they're not. That's a sad and dangerous thing.

Read what Heath had to say himself:

Ledger split last year with Michelle Williams, who played his wife in "Brokeback." The two had a daughter, the now 2-year-old Matilda, and had lived together in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood.

Early Wednesday, Williams and Matilda left Trollhattan, Sweden, where the 27-year-old actress had been shooting scenes for the upcoming film "Mammoth," said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.

"She received the news at her hotel late last night," Stromberg said, adding he had not spoken to the actress after she learned of Ledger's death. The actor's personal strife was accompanied by professional anxiety.

Ledger said in an interview in November that "Dark Knight" and last year's "I'm Not There," took a heavy toll. He said he "stressed out a little too much" during the Dylan film, and had trouble sleeping while portraying the Joker, whom he called a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy."

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told The New York Times. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." He said he took two Ambien pills, which only worked for an hour.

My mind wonders .... did he have any support around him? Who knew really what kind of pressure he was under?

What does this have to do with you? What is your support structure like? Who knows you really? Are you being realistic about the pressure you live with on a daily basis and responding to it in healthy ways?

A Good Night's Sleep

It's been too long since I've blogged! Since you "saw" me last here, I no longer have the goatee. I'll put up some progress pictures tomorrow, but just wanted to say HI for now, before I head off for a good night's sleep.

I've been wanting to mention a GREAT tool I got for Christmas that is REALLY helping me get better sleep. Some of you are gonna LOL when I tell you what it is ....

It's an eye mask! But not just ANY eye mask, mind you!

I've been getting better sleep the last year or so by using an eye mask. The regular, flat, black, silky ones you see all over the place.



However, this Christmas, I got a TEMPURPEDIC Eye Mask! I've been "eye-ing" that baby for some time now at Brookstone. And I'll tell ya, it's worth the extra price. The tempurpedic part of it literally shuts out every ray of light around your eyes. It can be high noon, and you'd never know it!

If you need some sleeping help, I HIGHLY recommend this puppy!

Pastors on Antidepressants

I read somewhere recently the comment that "it is sad news that 22% of pastors today are on antidepressants." I can't remember where I read that, but depression does that to me ... hmmm.

In processing that comment over the last few days, I have to say that I think the sad news in not that 22% of pastors today are on antidepressants, but that ONLY 22% of pastors are on antidepressants. I know that's a strong thing to say, and obviously it's coming from a pastor who uses them. Uh ... yes, that would be me!

I know alot of pastors. ALOT! I'm just tellin' ya ... it would help many of them to seek help for why their Monday drags into Tuesday and the rest of the week!

Pastoring is a care-giving profession. Many of us pastors don't want to call it a "profession", but it's what we do, even if you're bi-vocational. Why don't we care as much if psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, elderly care and mental health workers are on antidepressant medication? I, for one, have not heard "alarming" statistics on how many of those care-giving professionals are on medication.

In this post, I know there's alot I am saying, as well as a ton that I am not saying. I am presuming you know that I don't see depression as purely spiritual or medication to help it as some kind of taboo subject. Any who know me personally are aware that I have struggled with clinical depression for a number of years, at least since being diagnosed in 2001, but probably for many more years before that.

Just a little of my ramblings on the subject. Feel free to toss in questions or comments if you have them! Maybe I ought to write a little more on my journey in case it's helpful to someone else.