Battling with depression and anxiety can feel like a never-ending war between oneself. It’s an ongoing struggle and there are different treatments available but many find ways to live the rest of their life with this condition while learning how to hide it from the public. The late Chris Cornell had a history with depression and despite his wife Vicky Cornell being so certain he wasn’t suicidal on the night he died, it seems a prescription drug could have had a major influence on his shocking suicide. According to the Variety, Cornell’s family issued a statement questioning the coroner’s report out of disbelief that his suicide was intentional.

His family mentioned that the 52-year-old icon had a prescription for Ativan and could have taken a higher dosage. Attorney Kirk Pasich noted that Ativan can cause paranoid or suicidal thoughts. For those who are unfamiliar with Ativan, it is a drug to treat people with anxiety. The symptoms on most websites do in fact share the following side effects:

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• severe drowsiness;
• thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
• unusual changes in mood or behavior;
• confusion, aggression, hallucinations;
• worsened sleep problems;
• sudden restless feeling or excitement;
• muscle weakness, drooping eyelids, trouble swallowing;
• vision changes; or
• upper stomach pain, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Common Ativan side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness;

• weakness;

• slurred speech, lack of balance or coordination;

• memory problems; or

• feeling unsteady.

Prescription drugs commonly do cause imbalances to the body, which can result in hallucinating to the point of causing self-harm. Cornell’s family finds the suicidal report disturbing, stating the following:

“Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris—or if any substances contributed to his demise.”

His wife Vicky commented:

“Chris’s death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband.”

She also said: “When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different. When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him.

What happened is inexplicable and I am hopeful that further medical reports will provide additional details. I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life. The outpouring of love and support from his fans, friends and family means so much more to us than anyone can know. Thank you for that, and for understanding how difficult this is for us.”

Vicky mentioned Cornell flew home during Soundgarden’s tour the weekend prior to spend time with his family before going back on the road. It’s been reported that Cornell was found dead in his hotel bathroom at 12:05 AM ET on Thursday (18), shortly after their final performance at Detroit’s Fox Theater.

Hopefully, we will hear a statement from medical examiners soon enough. The reality is, only Cornell knows what happened. If someone you love is suffering from depression, make sure you are there for them. It’s ok to reach out and ask for help.