Chester Bennington’s widow shared a photo of the smiling Linkin Park singer just days before his suicide

Since Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington committed suicide on July 20th, his wife has been using her grief to do good. As shown through her social media presence, Talinda Bennington is trying to end the stigma that surrounds suicide and depression. One of the ways she has done that is by sharing a photo of Chester just days before his suicide, proving just how hidden depression can be.

Linkin Park’s lead singer hung himself in his home on what would have been his friend Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. (Cornell died by suicide just months earlier.) Chester left behind his wife Talinda and his six children — three with Talinda and three from two previous relationships.

The photo, posted on September 7th, shows Chester smiling with his family and reveals how loved ones can be battling severe depression without even showing it.

Talinda wrote:

"This was days b4 my husband took his own life.Suicidal thoughts were there,but you'd. Never kmow. #fuckdepression

Using the hashtags #FuckDepression and #MakeChesterProud, Talinda is growing an online community that’s there to support people with depression, and people who have been impacted by a loved one’s depression or suicide.

In another tweet, Talinda wrote:

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life for this cause. My grandkids won't know about mental stigmas!"

While the photo that Chester’s widow shared is devastating, knowing that only a few days later he would take his own life, it’s so inspiring that Talinda is using her platform to help others. By speaking out about how depression is nothing to be ashamed of and helping put an end to suicide, she’s surely making Chester proud.

If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. For additional resources, you can visit the Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.