What Did Anthony Bourdain Say About Depression? (+7 Key Signs)

In this article, titled “Anthony Bourdain depression,” we will present the bio of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, some of his depression signs, his last love, famous people’s words expressed after his death, as well as some information given by people who knew Bourdain best.

Who was Anthony Bourdain?

Anthony Michael Bourdain (1956-2018) is an American chef, writer, documentary traveler, and TV presenter, known for his programs exploring international culture, cuisine, and the human situation.

Bourdin was considered one of the most influential chefs of our time.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978, Bourdain has served as a chef in various renowned restaurants, including Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan, for his long career.

Initial fame was brought to him by the best-selling book On Food: Strictly Confidential (2000).

His first food and travel show, Cook’s Tour, was broadcast on the Food Network from 2002 to 2003. In 2005, he began working with Travel Channel, where he hosted the Anthony Bourdain: No Pre-Order (2005–2012) and Transplant (2011–2013) programs. From 2013 to 2015, he was a judge of the reality show “Taste,” at the same time switching to CNN, where he worked as a host on the program “Anthony Bourdain: Unknown Parts” (2013–2018).

Signs of Anthony Bourdain Depression

Below are presented some signs of Anthony Bourdain’s depression:

Opioid addiction

Bourdin once lived with opioid addiction. His drug use began when he was a teenager, and became increasingly dangerous during the first decade.

He also admitted that the end of his marriage left him depressed. This event also prompted him to drink heavily and use other drugs.

Possible personality disorder

Bourdin is concerned that he may have a narcissistic personality disorder. He admitted: “A reasonable person does not believe that you are so interesting that people will watch you on TV. I think this is evidence of a narcissistic personality disorder.”

A professional diagnosis might warn him of the increased risk of severe depression.

Dark mood

Eric Ripert, a French chef, and friend of Bourdain noted that Anthony’s mood changed a few days before his death.

They were in France filming “Parts Unknown.” He told Bourdin’s mother that her son had seemed to have a “dark mood” on the last days.

Despite exhaustion, Bourdain did not look so worn out.

Fatigue 

No one who knew Bourdin would be surprised to hear that he worked hard. However, towards the end of his life, he took things to the extreme.

A source told People: “His travel schedule was grueling, and he often seemed pretty exhausted, as anyone would be. He put everything in frames and then returned to his room to isolate oneself.”

Busy schedule

Bourdain kept himself on a tight schedule during the filming of his show in France.

This seemingly regular habit could be a sign that he is not feeling well. Not everyone who lives with depression seems unhealthy.

People dealing with mental health problems often keep busy to avoid emotional distress.

Mentioning depression on his show

Bourdin met with a therapist while filming an episode of his show in Argentina.

He admitted that he needed “to talk with someone.” He told the therapist: “For example, I will get to the airport, and I will order a hamburger at the airport, but it is not a good one. Suddenly I look at the hamburger and am in a state of depression that can last several days.”

Asking for professional help

Rose McGowan was one of Bourdain’s longtime friends.

In a public letter, she shared that he was trying to take steps to get professional help before he died.

“I know that he asked for help before Anthony’s death, and yet he did not take the doctor’s advice. Moreover, that brought us here, to this tragedy, to this loss, to this world of hurt,” said Rose McGowan.

The Last Love of Bourdain

Bourdain had been dating Asia Argento since 2017. He was claiming that he is happier around Asia.

Some of his friends said, “Like a teenage boy, he was lovestruck. He would have done anything for her.”

Their love bloomed, but later after Bourdain’s death, TMZ wrote, “Anthony Bourdain and Asia Argento seemed as tight as ever just last week. However, it appears something changed within the last few days. “Just a few weeks ago, they were together in Florence, Italy, and still looking very happy and romantic.” Nevertheless, while Bourdain was hitting in France, Asia was back in Rome, strolling around with a French reporter. There were photos of them holding hands and hugging.” 

Asia Argento about Anthony Bourdain

“It was not a problem for us. He was a man who traveled 265 days a year. When we saw each other, we took great pleasure in each other’s company. However, we are not children. We are grown-ups. People say I murdered him. They say I terminated him. I understand that the world needs to find a reason. I would like to find a reason, too. I do not have it,” said Asia. 

Tony According to People Who Knew Him Best

“The first time I met him, he was in the kitchen and cooking. It was a cramped kitchen that had been designed back in the ’70s, so it was kind of out of proportion. Moreover, he was reticent. Almost timid. He had just worked a few years for an Italian restaurant, and at the beginning, all of his specials were very Italian. So that was rattling my cage a little bit—it was a French restaurant!” 

• Philippe Lajaunie (owner, Les Halles, where Bourdain had been an executive chef)

“I went by the restaurant, Les Halles, because I would read [his memoir] Kitchen Confidential when it came out, and the book wowed me. Moreover, he asked me what I thought of Les Halles, and I said, “Well, it is a fairly terrible restaurant.” Moreover, he loved that I said it.”

• Jeremiah Tower (chef)

“I loved Les Halles. I miss it. Had he ever showed interest in cooking [when we were kids]? No, no, no, no, no, not at all. Zero, zero, zero.”

• Chris Bourdain (brother)

“The first time I met Tony was the winter of 1969. He was two grades behind me, which in high school made him an entirely different generation. He was new at our school, and this Bourdain kid was tiny. I remember we hazed him just a bit. The first Friday of our ski-club trips, we made him ride in the luggage rack.”

• Sam Goldman (childhood friend)

“He was big with nunchucks for a while. I do not know that he was good at striking, but he made them fly around his body, and he did not hit himself too often. He was a joker, too. He would run into the next room and turn on a blender or a noisy appliance, and he would start screaming like his hand was caught in it.”

• Jeff Formosa (musician, childhood friend)

“My wife came home one day, and she said, “Look. There is a nice woman in the newspaper. Her son is a writer. She wanted you to take a look at his work,” which seemed…adorable, right? A mother’s ambition for a son. I took this manuscript out of its yellow envelope, not expecting much. I started to read. It was about a young cook, working at a pretty average steak-and-fries place on lower Park Avenue. I called this guy up on the phone. He answered it in his kitchen. I said, “I would like to publish this work of yours in The New Yorker. I hope that is okay.” That was the beginning of Anthony Bourdain being published. I do not know if there is any way to put this other than to say he invented himself as a writer, as a public personality. It was all there.”

• David Remnick (editor in chief, “The New Yorker”)

The World Mourns the Loss of Anthony Bourdain

“Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food.” – Gordon Ramsay

“I think a proper tribute to @Bourdain would be wherever you live, venture across town, across the tracks, to a place you would not normally go and find a place to eat and talk with strangers.” – Ed Lavandera

“I am so gutted by Anthony Bourdain’s passing because he embodied a sense of adventure, celebration of uniqueness, and joy de Vivre I was so inspired. Goes to show that even if you travel to the ends of the earth, you cannot escape your own mind’s torment.” – Felicia Day

“Anthony Bourdain made the mainstream see the world through compassionate, heartfelt eyes. You showed food as the currency of community in a moment. You wove in the political, global & local injustices, the beauty of a people over a bowl of food. You are so missed, storyteller.” – Tara Houska

“Anthony Bourdain gave so many of us the courage to walk through doors without signs, to approach a distant bonfire, to delve deeper into worlds and cultures unlike our own. Let’s keep exploring and traveling and listening to each other—it is the legacy he deserves.” – Colin Trevorrow

“According to AFSP, there are nearly 45,000 suicides every year in the US. Shocking. I was saddened to hear of the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. RIP. It illustrates that success is not immune to depression. We all need to be more aware of our friends who are suffering.” – Bryan Cranston

FAQs about the topic “Anthony Bourdain depression.”

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the topic “Anthony Bourdain depression.”

As we can see, based on Anthony Bourdain’s depression signs, and some life details, his life has not been as high as it seemed by the side.

However, people all over the world mourn the loss of the celebrity chef, who traveled the world, uncovering less-known places and their cuisine, presenting them in his popular show called “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.”

Please feel free to comment on the content or ask any questions in the comments section below.

References

1. Anthony Bourdain depression: Signs