Vicky Cornell, wife of Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden issued a statement today morning speculating whether his suicide was the result of taking too anxiety medication. Vicky wrote,

“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. He was my best friend.

His world revolved around his family first and, of course, his music second. He flew home for Mother’s Day to spend time with our family. He flew out mid-day Wednesday, the day of the show, after spending time with the children. When we spoke before the show, we discussed plans for a vacation over Memorial Day and other things we wanted to do.“

Following Soundgarden’s concert Wednesday night, Vicky noticed a change in her husband’s demeanor when they spoke on the phone after the show,

“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.“

Attorney for the Cornell family, Kirk Pasich, restated on Vicky’s belief that an extra dosage of Ativan, an anxiety medication often taken by recovering addicts, altered Chris Cornell’s mental faculties. He added that the Cornell family is

“disturbed at inferences that Chris knowingly and intentionally took his life.

“Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris — or if any substances contributed to his demise. Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than recommended dosages. The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions.“

Pasich said that side effects of Ativan include paranoid or suicidal thoughts, slurred speech and impaired judgment.

Vicki also said,

“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.”

If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide, call The National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255

(via Rolling Stone)