Robin Williams’ tragic death can be a wake-up call
Apparently Robin Williams no longer could contain his pain, and the man who
brought us so much laughter through the years brought us sadness when he took
the ultimate step to stop whatever was hurting him.
We’ll never know what finally pushed him to that point, just as we truly never know what pushes others who choose suicide. Sure, depression and related problems were the big factors, as they often are, but we never will understand what it is that makes them take the final step over the edge.
When it’s someone like Robin Williams, who we think has tremendous success and is so loved, it’s incredibly shocking. It’s like a blow to the chest when we hear such news, and because he was admired by so many it takes on a personal feel.
Naturally, the posts will come in social media that someone else died the same day as Robin Williams, or a soldier was killed in Afghanistan, or an individual most of the world never has heard of shed their mortal coil, and there was no fuss about their deaths. All lives are important in the world, whether you’re an acclaimed celebrity or someone known only within your small circle. However, because people develop such admiration, or even a form of love, for someone famous, some deaths attract more attention than others. It doesn’t lessen individual importance, nor individual achievement.
I’m one of those who admires Robin Williams — I use the present tense because his work lives on — for his vast talent, his ability to literally make us roll in the floor in laughter, and to touch our hearts with unadorned sentimentality. I honestly believe my first hernia was a result of laughing so hard at one of his HBO specials on a Saturday night. I laughed loud and hard until tears rolled down my face, I felt a stitch in my side and kept laughing; by Monday I was in the hospital for surgery.
That’s how people should remember Robin Williams, with joy in celebration of his life and legacy, not overshadowed by his death. Yet we can take his death as a wake-up call about depression.
Depression affects many people, more than you might imagine, and people you might never suspect. It takes many forms. It’s not just being down, or “having the blues,” feeling out of sorts or listless. Everyone has periods like that in their lives. For others, it’s a way of life. It affects attitude, outlook, how you feel about others, how you feel about yourself — especially how you feel about yourself. Celebration of achievements tend to be short, disappointment at everything else lingers far longer than it should.
It can show as anger, or sadness, it can cripple you, stop you. It’s not just a temporary situation, or something you can just snap out of just because someone thinks you should. Tips for avoiding depression are ridiculous, tips such as not dwelling on what makes you unhappy, or worrying about anything, or letting little things “get you down.” That’s easy to say, but when you live with it just how are you supposed to not dwell on unhappiness, worry about anything and not let little things get you down?
Depression is physical, too, and sometimes can lay one low, even make a person almost catatonic at the worst. It also can be physical in the sense of a chemical imbalance in the brain, which exaggerates everyday things into chronic problems.
Some folks can deal with depression quite handily. Others can control it medicinally. Legitimate medication, not self-medication, can restore balance. Some may need a combination of treatments to control it. The object is controlling it. It’s still within you, and it’s a continuing fight, but it is possible to control depression.
Even then, sometimes it overflows. For some, the overflow leads to tragedy when they can no longer control it, contain it ... or live with it.
If you suffer with depression, think you may have depression, or know someone who has depression, get help. Talk to your doctor, contact a professional, seek assistance; don’t let it control your life. Contact your local hospital, local counseling services and mental health services. Reaching out is the first step to controlling depression, and away from the edge of no return.
We’ll never know what finally pushed him to that point, just as we truly never know what pushes others who choose suicide. Sure, depression and related problems were the big factors, as they often are, but we never will understand what it is that makes them take the final step over the edge.
When it’s someone like Robin Williams, who we think has tremendous success and is so loved, it’s incredibly shocking. It’s like a blow to the chest when we hear such news, and because he was admired by so many it takes on a personal feel.
Naturally, the posts will come in social media that someone else died the same day as Robin Williams, or a soldier was killed in Afghanistan, or an individual most of the world never has heard of shed their mortal coil, and there was no fuss about their deaths. All lives are important in the world, whether you’re an acclaimed celebrity or someone known only within your small circle. However, because people develop such admiration, or even a form of love, for someone famous, some deaths attract more attention than others. It doesn’t lessen individual importance, nor individual achievement.
I’m one of those who admires Robin Williams — I use the present tense because his work lives on — for his vast talent, his ability to literally make us roll in the floor in laughter, and to touch our hearts with unadorned sentimentality. I honestly believe my first hernia was a result of laughing so hard at one of his HBO specials on a Saturday night. I laughed loud and hard until tears rolled down my face, I felt a stitch in my side and kept laughing; by Monday I was in the hospital for surgery.
That’s how people should remember Robin Williams, with joy in celebration of his life and legacy, not overshadowed by his death. Yet we can take his death as a wake-up call about depression.
Depression affects many people, more than you might imagine, and people you might never suspect. It takes many forms. It’s not just being down, or “having the blues,” feeling out of sorts or listless. Everyone has periods like that in their lives. For others, it’s a way of life. It affects attitude, outlook, how you feel about others, how you feel about yourself — especially how you feel about yourself. Celebration of achievements tend to be short, disappointment at everything else lingers far longer than it should.
It can show as anger, or sadness, it can cripple you, stop you. It’s not just a temporary situation, or something you can just snap out of just because someone thinks you should. Tips for avoiding depression are ridiculous, tips such as not dwelling on what makes you unhappy, or worrying about anything, or letting little things “get you down.” That’s easy to say, but when you live with it just how are you supposed to not dwell on unhappiness, worry about anything and not let little things get you down?
Depression is physical, too, and sometimes can lay one low, even make a person almost catatonic at the worst. It also can be physical in the sense of a chemical imbalance in the brain, which exaggerates everyday things into chronic problems.
Some folks can deal with depression quite handily. Others can control it medicinally. Legitimate medication, not self-medication, can restore balance. Some may need a combination of treatments to control it. The object is controlling it. It’s still within you, and it’s a continuing fight, but it is possible to control depression.
Even then, sometimes it overflows. For some, the overflow leads to tragedy when they can no longer control it, contain it ... or live with it.
If you suffer with depression, think you may have depression, or know someone who has depression, get help. Talk to your doctor, contact a professional, seek assistance; don’t let it control your life. Contact your local hospital, local counseling services and mental health services. Reaching out is the first step to controlling depression, and away from the edge of no return.
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Beautifully written, Sonny.
ReplyDeleteExcellent.
ReplyDelete