When will we effectively change law enforcement response? Josh Marks from MasterChef Commits Suicide, Suffered from Bipolar, Schizophrenia Sadly, among the 90-some-odd people who committed suicide in America on Friday, October 11, 2013, MasterChef contestant Josh Marks was among them. People who watched the television show may remember Josh as someone who was known as a “gentle giant.” Josh, 26 and 7’2″, was known by his friends and family as someone who was kind, well-loved and thoughtful. But the same month he lost to someone else on the final episode of MasterChef in 2012, he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And just last week, he was given yet another diagnosis — schizophrenia. After struggling with poor treatment options, the stress of the TV show, and the brand-new diagnosis, it apparently was too much for Josh to bear any longer. Apparently, after losing to Christina Ha in the final round of MasterChef in September 2012, things quickly went south for Josh Marks’ mental health: “But, behind that huge smile, Josh was in the battle of his life fighting mental illness,” a family statement said. “It was extremely tough, but Josh was always positive, focused on his faith in God and determined to win; pushing forward through his illness to follow his passion for cooking and dream of being a renowned chef.” That battle apparently began just as Marks was achieving celebrity status on television. “I hadn’t noticed any signs of anything wrong or any mental illness until after Josh completed filming ‘MasterChef,’” his mother said. “The time he was away filming was extremely stressful on him.” According to news reports, Josh suffered from a breakdown this past summer that led to his arrest by Chicago police. He told police that he had been possessed by MasterChef judge Gordon Ramsay. He scuffled with police during that incident, which led to them taking Marks into custody and filing charges against him. Some might argue this is yet another example of the police being insensitive to the mental health concerns of people they’re dealing with. Instead of being sent to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, he was sent to prison, and placed within the general prison population. Despite his rambling delusions, he received no mental health treatment nor evaluation while in prison. t.co/81410B0F9F
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 09:44:33 +0000
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