The OG ‘Mummy Blogger’ Heather Armstrong known best as Dooce has died aged 47.
Armstrong was a force, paving the way for bloggers on her site Dooce.com where she would write about her struggles as a mother and battles with depression and alcoholism. She gave millions of readers a window into the joys and challenges of parenthood and marriage.
The news was announced on her Instagram page overnight with her boyfriend Pete Ashdown telling The Associated Press the cause was suicide. He had found her at their Salt Lake City home.
Ashdown said Armstrong had been sober for 18-months, but had recently relapsed.
In a statement to CNN Ashdown said Dooce was "a brilliant, funny, compassionate writer who struggled with mental-health and alcoholism... She saved many lives through her authorship on depression, but in the end could not save herself.”
“She was a loving companion and mother who was always open for a new adventure or concert. Heather believed that ending her life was wrong, but in the end, her judgment was clouded by alcohol. She was loved and will be deeply missed.”
Armstrong, who has two children with her ex-husband and business partner, Jon Armstrong, launched Dooce in 2001.
She was one of the first 'Mummy Bloggers', and spoke about the launch of the blog in her 2009 memoir It Sucked and then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita.
In her memoir she said her blog started as a way to share her thoughts on pop culture with distant friends.
Within a year, her audience grew from a close friends to thousands of strangers around the world. By 2009 she had a monthly readership of 8.4 million.
More and more, Armstrong said, she found herself writing about her personal life and, eventually, an office job, and “how much I wanted to strangle my boss, often using words and phrases that would embarrass a sailor.”
She wrote candidly about her battle with depression and the treatments she was receiving. She's been interviewed by Oprah and graced the Forbes list of most influential women.
More to come.
With AAP.
For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation’s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673).
If you think you may experience depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.
Feature Image: Supplied.