MR

Sad Stuff.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/11/robin-wil ... s-suicide/


Robin Williams has committed suicide.

The comedian killed himself in Tiburon, in Northern California.

According to the Marin County Sheriff's Office ... authorities found William's body inside his home. They say he was found unresponsive.

He was unconscious and not breathing and the coroner suspects suicide due to asphyxia.

Williams was last seen alive at his house at 10 PM Sunday night.

Williams went back to rehab last month to focus on his sobriety. We're told alcohol was an issue.

Williams struggled with cocaine and alcohol abuse in the early '80s but was sober for 20 years.

Williams was 63.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/11/robin-wil ... z3A805hXWD

Rest In Peace Robin. Thank you for so many smiles and laughs. Sad that such a funny man could suffer such depression.

SF-Dano wrote:Rest In Peace Robin. Thank you for so many smiles and laughs. Sad that such a funny man could suffer such depression.

It seems that a lot of comedians suffer from depression. Part of what makes them funny is usually a very dark side.

Nanu nanu

fuck.

Depression is a killer...

Williams was one of my favorite people.. such a personable fellow... his humor came from such a childlike place...

I heard this in the car an hour ago and did a double-take. I was like, "I did NOT just hear 'Robin Williams''...I know I misheard it."

Then came the news cascade a few moments later reiterating the report and the subsequent commentary. Damn. RIP.

Wow..RIP Robin.
Thanks for many years of smiles and laughs.

This one is really bothering me and I can't help it. What a brilliant talent whose humor will truly be immortal. His family must be at the highest level of grief at this time givin' the man that he was. A truly respected one gone far too soon. Depression is no laughing matter. I hope he's in peace.

Same here, I'm deeply upset and saddened by this. It really hasn't sunk in yet. Guy was a genius.

Robin Williams and Brad Delp 1979

Ya know, I'm often quick to say that I don't have much sympathy for suicide. I've always felt that suicide is just about the most selfish act in the world - "My life is soooo bad, screw everyone else, I'm outta here!" And although I still think that, I'm really sad about Robin Williams. I mean, I kinda grew up with this guy. From Happy Days and Mork & Mindy on TV, to so much stand-up comedy, and all the movies.

He's always been one of my faves because he was so quick witted. On the Comic Relief shows, he just ran circles around everyone else. If ever I had to choose between reruns of movies or comedy routines, I always turned to Robin Williams. If ever there was an interview on tv or radio, I'd sit there until it was done...and then I'd usually want more.

So I don't know. I've never understood depression. I mean, I think I know how it works. I had a brother who suffered with it...and I think my Dad too in his last year. And I've probably bounced thru the dark side a few times on occasion. But I've never really understood severe deep depression. And in a way, I hope I never do.

RIP, Robin Williams. I pray that you're in a better place now.


later~

Arkansas wrote:Ya know, I'm often quick to say that I don't have much sympathy for suicide. I've always felt that suicide is just about the most selfish act in the world - "My life is soooo bad, screw everyone else, I'm outta here!" And although I still think that, I'm really sad about Robin Williams. I mean, I kinda grew up with this guy. From Happy Days and Mork & Mindy on TV, to so much stand-up comedy, and all the movies.

He's always been one of my faves because he was so quick witted. On the Comic Relief shows, he just ran circles around everyone else. If ever I had to choose between reruns of movies or comedy routines, I always turned to Robin Williams. If ever there was an interview on tv or radio, I'd sit there until it was done...and then I'd usually want more.

So I don't know. I've never understood depression. I mean, I think I know how it works. I had a brother who suffered with it...and I think my Dad too in his last year. And I've probably bounced thru the dark side a few times on occasion. But I've never really understood severe deep depression. And in a way, I hope I never do.

RIP, Robin Williams. I pray that you're in a better place now.


later~

You don't have to understand something or experience something to have sympathy, you just have to know it's real. And anyone that still thinks debilitating depression is not real simply has their eyes closed.

When you are in the depths of it, there is not a single thing that can pull you out except maybe the one thing that does - which is different for everyone and unknown until it maybe happens. Taking ones life is an extremely difficult and final decision. That alone tells you that whatever forces are pushing you there, and it is a force, must be beyond overwhelming. Or suicide would not exist. In all people, even the depressed, the will to live is built into our DNA and has kept us alive for all our time. It is not the weak that choose to end their lives, it is the ones suffering from a force that becomes greater than the will to live. The "get over it" attitude of society is childish and inhumane. I am not saying you have that attitude, mind you. Just saying our society does and it's shameful.

Here's a video making the rounds today. I find it pretty on point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHcc7ipGt0

I hate that this happened to Robin Williams and I hate that many people feel this way every day. And I always live in fear because my life has touched these boundaries several times. And when I feel that nasty wave of doom that comes over me, I fear that I will sink to depths I cannot recover from. But I am years past those depths, even if it comes to visit me every so often. Intellectually, I know that if I ever got to that point again, it would be the last time. There would be no coming back. So when a hint of it arrives, I fight like hell. I scramble my brain in every direction trying to overcome it as fast as I can. And I rely on my friends to understand. Understanding goes a long way to keeping me above the water. No one can fix it, but compassion is our greatest gift and to receive it from someone is my lifeline.

Didn't come here to write all this, but there it is. I hope Robin's family gets through this ok.

By the way, I saw Robin Williams last month riding his bike here in MN during his rehab stay. Only a brief second, but I thought a lot in that moment how it was good he was getting his sobriety tune up. I wish it had of been enough.

Memorex wrote:

Arkansas wrote:Ya know, I'm often quick to say that I don't have much sympathy for suicide. I've always felt that suicide is just about the most selfish act in the world - "My life is soooo bad, screw everyone else, I'm outta here!" And although I still think that, I'm really sad about Robin Williams. I mean, I kinda grew up with this guy. From Happy Days and Mork & Mindy on TV, to so much stand-up comedy, and all the movies.

He's always been one of my faves because he was so quick witted. On the Comic Relief shows, he just ran circles around everyone else. If ever I had to choose between reruns of movies or comedy routines, I always turned to Robin Williams. If ever there was an interview on tv or radio, I'd sit there until it was done...and then I'd usually want more.

So I don't know. I've never understood depression. I mean, I think I know how it works. I had a brother who suffered with it...and I think my Dad too in his last year. And I've probably bounced thru the dark side a few times on occasion. But I've never really understood severe deep depression. And in a way, I hope I never do.

RIP, Robin Williams. I pray that you're in a better place now.


later~

You don't have to understand something or experience something to have sympathy, you just have to know it's real. And anyone that still thinks debilitating depression is not real simply has their eyes closed.

When you are in the depths of it, there is not a single thing that can pull you out except maybe the one thing that does - which is different for everyone and unknown until it maybe happens. Taking ones life is an extremely difficult and final decision. That alone tells you that whatever forces are pushing you there, and it is a force, must be beyond overwhelming. Or suicide would not exist. In all people, even the depressed, the will to live is built into our DNA and has kept us alive for all our time. It is not the weak that choose to end their lives, it is the ones suffering from a force that becomes greater than the will to live. The "get over it" attitude of society is childish and inhumane. I am not saying you have that attitude, mind you. Just saying our society does and it's shameful.

Here's a video making the rounds today. I find it pretty on point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHcc7ipGt0

I hate that this happened to Robin Williams and I hate that many people feel this way every day. And I always live in fear because my life has touched these boundaries several times. And when I feel that nasty wave of doom that comes over me, I fear that I will sink to depths I cannot recover from. But I am years past those depths, even if it comes to visit me every so often. Intellectually, I know that if I ever got to that point again, it would be the last time. There would be no coming back. So when a hint of it arrives, I fight like hell. I scramble my brain in every direction trying to overcome it as fast as I can. And I rely on my friends to understand. Understanding goes a long way to keeping me above the water. No one can fix it, but compassion is our greatest gift and to receive it from someone is my lifeline.

Didn't come here to write all this, but there it is. I hope Robin's family gets through this ok.

By the way, I saw Robin Williams last month riding his bike here in MN during his rehab stay. Only a brief second, but I thought a lot in that moment how it was good he was getting his sobriety tune up. I wish it had of been enough.

+1000. No one can really understand the depths of depression unless they have been there. That's why it's not a great idea to judge others. Robin was a Bay Area guy and everyone here is in shock, just like the rest of the world.

Been there. Came really, really close to not being here. The routine of taking care of a little dog and asking for help saved my life. That said, I will say this.

Suicide = a selfish act, and a reaction to something, and the consequences of it are often not lost on the person contemplating/committing suicide. What ever causes their pain typically pushes our their ability to be rational.

Depression = a mental illness. PERIOD. Sometimes the consequences are fatal. Sometimes not. It is treatable as long as the person can, and does ask for help.


Suicide and Depression are two separate things.

The world loses Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall in the same week and we're still stuck with Justin Beiber and the Kardashians. What a crock of shit...

ebake02 wrote:The world loses Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall in the same week and we're still stuck with Justin Beiber and the Kardashians. What a crock of shit...

LOL, the Kardashias are like herpes. Their both the gift that keeps on giving.

Lora wrote:Goodbye To A Friend

- So true...


'Once again…
the good die young and pricks live forever'.

'May peace finally be with him'. - Lewis Black

One thing - I always found him to be a much better actor than a stand up comedian. He was too manic for my tastes. I liked some of his dramatic roles a lot more.

It's terribly sad. all of these famous people making these kind and loving comments about their friend. it makes me sadder.
where were they when this man was suffering. suicide is part of depression, it's on the continuum, it's the grey between the white and the black'; the more depressed you get the darker the grey gets until it leads to a totally destructive and final color of black.
perhaps he could have been saved but you get paralyzed and you dwell in that dark place by yourself and no one can get in to help you. i don't know where people were months ago when he first started sliding down that hill of depression. you know he's been
there before and you knew he'd be there again and you know when this time was worse than the last time. but he wouldn't budge and you felt you couldn't push him; but there's always the power of the courts to make someone get the help they need. oh he'd been embarrassed and threaten never to talk to you again; but he'd be alive. he'd be here amongst all these sad faces making
these kind and sweet comments. he couldn't do it himself; but someone else could have done it for him. so, today i'm not mad at him for what he's done. and the act was selfish but i think sometimes we have to be our brother's keeper.

Marabelle wrote:It's terribly sad. all of these famous people making these kind and loving comments about their friend. it makes me sadder.
where were they when this man was suffering. suicide is part of depression, it's on the continuum, it's the grey between the white and the black'; the more depressed you get the darker the grey gets until it leads to a totally destructive and final color of black.
perhaps he could have been saved but you get paralyzed and you dwell in that dark place by yourself and no one can get in to help you. i don't know where people were months ago when he first started sliding down that hill of depression. you know he's been
there before and you knew he'd be there again and you know when this time was worse than the last time. but he wouldn't budge and you felt you couldn't push him; but there's always the power of the courts to make someone get the help they need. oh he'd been embarrassed and threaten never to talk to you again; but he'd be alive. he'd be here amongst all these sad faces making
these kind and sweet comments. he couldn't do it himself; but someone else could have done it for him. so, today i'm not mad at him for what he's done. and the act was selfish but i think sometimes we have to be our brother's keeper.

I think it appears as a selfish act to those left behind. It appears as considerate to the person that committed the act. When you are like that, you can see the suffering that others go through on your behalf. And much of what you think is that you don't want to put them through that anymore. In that sense, it feels like the highest form of a selfless act. In any case, it is a disease and it is often uncontrollable and we can no more blame someone that commits suicide of being selfish than someone that dies of cancer. We have to get past this notion that the person in that position always has the ability to control it. It is a pure darkness and often that darkness takes over completely.

As far as his friends - have you ever known anyone to do this or attempt this? I have and I have never met anyone that said yea, I knew he'd do it. People don't usually come equipped with the idea that people can actually go that far. It's a very foreign thought for most people. They always feel like they will hold on. You know Robin and many, many others that have done this are very much loved and looked in on. His family forced him to rehab in 2006. I'm sure it was his friends and family that encouraged him to go to rehab a month ago. But for decades he always pulled himself away from the edge and I'm sure everyone believed that was more possible than him hanging himself one night.

I just feel like those that think this type of act is selfish and that others can change it simply don't understand the disease that is chronic, deep depression. This isn't simply the blues. And maybe when we stop blaming people or labeling them, we can get a whole lot better at addressing it.

An example of this is things like school shootings. Almost to a person, every one of these shooters had mental issues and were on one prescription or another. But our country doesn't want to discuss that. We want to talk about the gun and gun control. Silly.

It's a mental illness most of us not wired that way will never understand. Selfish on the surface to those of us left behind for sure. Not to those who take it to the end under that cloud.

The only thing that I have to say though is I feel more for people who have this issue that have to work 9 to 5 jobs and just can't leave their lives to go to rehab for months and get help. They don't have those kind of resources like Robin Williams did. I just feel more for them. Doesn't make this any less sad of course.

AR wrote:It's a mental illness most of us not wired that way will never understand. Selfish on the surface to those of us left behind for sure. Not to those who take it to the end under that cloud.

The only thing that I have to say though is I feel more for people who have this issue that have to work 9 to 5 jobs and just can't leave their lives to go to rehab for months and get help. They don't have those kind of resources like Robin Williams did. I just feel more for them. Doesn't make this any less sad of course.

I get that. You would think a man of his resources could have found a way. But that's not how it works, right? You get to a point where you can't do the work. Where every word being said to you is deflected back with a complete lack of hope. I can think of many conversations in my life where people kept offering me a hand up and it wouldn't have mattered if they were handing me 15 million dollars and a life on the beach. I could find 35 reasons why I should continue to feel hopeless for every one offer of hope they made. The only thing that ever helped me during those times is if someone could get down into the trenches mentally with me and offer understanding. The thing that pushed me farther into the abyss was people (like my mother) that would want me to snap out of it or tell me what a great life I was missing out on. Lame.

Yes - suicide is a choice. But often it feels like the ONLY choice and sometimes the brain is not equipped to be making such decisions.

Glad to see this thread discussion depression in a respectful manner. Clinical depression is a deep dark condition that changes the way a person perceives things and how they deal with life in general.

What is so horrible about depression is that it leads those to make a permanent decision of finality to what could have been a temporary situation. Very sad! I've been depressed before and it took about 3 years out of my life. I literally couldn't take care of myself, it got so bad. Fortunately, when I made a decision to "end it" permanently, I was not alone and was able to have professionals intervene. It took time, but through help of many friends, family and professionals, I was able to break out of it. I'm grateful for the life I have and the very fact I am still here. Depressed people are not capable of rational thinking.......nothing looks right, everything is gloomy and looks like shit, not matter what those around you say, when you are in the grip of it.

"Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

~ Robin Williams..

Depression for some people is a life long Permanant Problem. 10% of sufferers do not respond to any currently available treatments.

majik wrote:Depression for some people is a life long Permanant Problem. 10% of sufferers do not respond to any currently available treatments.

Absolutely.

majik wrote:Depression for some people is a life long Permanant Problem. 10% of sufferers do not respond to any currently available treatments.

Sometimes I wonder if some of those suffers are afraid of the side effects of depression drugs and don't seek treatment.

Its 10% of patients, meaning those that have sought help and received all of the currently available treatment options.