The suicide of Stephen “tWitch” Boss has caused some good discussion about mental health, suicide, and how someone’s life can look so perfect on the outside but be far from perfect on the inside.

What made the news more shocking was that tWitch appeared to have it all – a happy, positive, beautiful life. I didn’t follow his career, but I knew who he was from The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He was so likable, and I, like many others, felt we got to know him a bit during his time on Ellen.

Suicide is so misunderstood, and it’s something you can’t have a conversation about after the fact. No one can reflect on the day and tell you what they were going through that led to their death. It’s too late. The signs don’t matter. The reason doesn’t matter. It’s often viewed as a selfish act, and I could not disagree more.