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Robin Williams
We have lost a bipolar artist today. Appearing in movies like Jack, Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams seemed to teach the world how to play like a kid and he could tug at your heart strings like no other actor could. I will truly miss the man and the impact he made on my life after being diagnosed.
I'm sorry. I didn't get your point. What is it that you are trying to say to me? It would help of you were a little more direct.
I can really relate to what you said. I was stunned when I heard that he was found dead and equally shocked that it was "apparently suicide" when it was reported just a couple of hours after he was found. I had to verify it. I always admired his openness to bring his ongoing struggles with depression and alcoholism very frankly to the public eye. It's a very brave and caring thing do. I liked that he was very human.
I am sorry that you are going though depression, and I hope that you are going through it with support. I spent long years mostly depressed in my cycling. I hope that it doesn't weather you too badly and that you recover soon. I would hope that your lost piece of soul flies true soon.
I have caught and read some of your poems and postings. I get the sense that you have a lot of heart and humanity yourself and provided a glimpse of your struggle. Congratulations on your published book of poems. That is quite an achievement.
I am sorry that you are going though depression, and I hope that you are going through it with support. I spent long years mostly depressed in my cycling. I hope that it doesn't weather you too badly and that you recover soon. I would hope that your lost piece of soul flies true soon.
I have caught and read some of your poems and postings. I get the sense that you have a lot of heart and humanity yourself and provided a glimpse of your struggle. Congratulations on your published book of poems. That is quite an achievement.
Thank you for that. I was really depressed when I wrote that so don't think much about it. I did care for Robin quite a bit. I felt like a piece of my soul was lost when I found out that he had died.
ROBIN WILLIAMS
...a wake-up call for mental illness
Part 1:
News of the death of Robin Williams on 12/8/'14 stunned fans young and old. Comedians, actors, directors, many of the rich and famous who had been influenced by Williams paid their tributes. So, too, have millions of others now on social media in the first 48 hours since the first news of his suicide. Williams made his TV debut in the late 1970s TV comedy Mork & Mindy as a strange and lovable creature from outer space. At the time I had an 80 hour week with job responsibilities as a lecturer at what is now the University of Ballarat, and community responsibilities as the secretary of the local Baha'i community. I watched little TV in those years.
Williams had been open about his struggles with alcohol and cocaine and in the past months had entered a rehabilitation centre to help him maintain sobriety. But many questions remain over his final months and what could have led to his death. This post attempts to answer some of the questions that will arise.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, dozens of fans congregated around Williams' star on Tuesday, 12/8/'14, leaving flowers and candles to honour the versatile actor. Williams' appeal stretched across generations and genres, from family fare as the voice of Disney's blue genie in Aladdin to his portrayal of a fatherly therapist in the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting. Williams won the best supporting actor Oscar in 1998 for that portrayal.
The 1998 movie, Patch Adams, in which Williams plays a medical student who battled convention to treat his patients using laughter, earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Some of the most humorous and touching scenes of Williams' from his favourite roles to his recipe for success can be found now in cyberspace.
In 1998 I was just about to retire after a 50 year student-and-paid-employment-life, 1949 to 1999, and did not learn of the film until several years after I had taken a sea-change and an early retirement at age 55. In recent years I have watched more TV, at least two hours a day on average and have seen much of Robin Williams.
Part 2:
Williams' career was launched in 1973 when he became one of only 20 students accepted into the freshman class at Juilliard and one of only two students accepted into the Advanced Program at the school that year; the other was Christopher Reeve. The Juilliard School is widely regarded as one of the world's leading music schools, with some of the most prestigious arts programs.
In 1973 my teaching career had just begun to take-off when I was teaching in South Australia's first open plan secondary school. That same year I was hired to teach in Australia's first human relations training program for trainee teachers at the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. Of course, I knew nothing of Williams back then and neither did the millions and billions who would come to know him in the next 40 years.
Williams said that the favourite role which he played was Oliver Sachs in Awakenings. He said that he saw the role as a gift because he got to meet Sachs, and got to explore the human brain from the inside out. "Oliver writes about human behaviour subjectively," said Williams, "and that for me was the beginning of my fascination with human behaviour."
"In his stand-up specials and chat-show appearances," wrote a reviewer yesterday in The Economist, "he never seemed hold anything back. Dripping with sweat, pouring out words in torrents, he seemed to have no filters between his buzzing brain and the outside world. He could be endearingly open and honest about his own problems, his addiction to alcohol and cocaine, even while improvising delirious flights of fancy and flitting from character to character. Viewers loved him for it. Mr Williams had a versatility that few comedy superstars have matched."1
Part 3:
In June 2014 Williams spent time in the Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center in Minnesota, which helps patients maintain long-term sobriety. The death of Williams shook Hollywood, and colleagues mourned the loss of what many called a big-hearted man and one of the most inventive comedians of his time. "Robin Williams' suicide doesn't cross the line, but it comes very, very close to it," said Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention(AFSP).
"Suicide should never be presented as an option. That's a formula for potential contagion. Adolescents are most at risk of suicide contagion; in recent years, groups like AFSP have also become particularly attentive to the role the internet plays in romanticising notorious or high-profile deaths, something it has long asked both the news and entertainment industries to avoid.
One family acquaintance was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as follows: "Williams always had this sadness about him, this melancholy.” He had never been diagnosed with clinical depression or bipolar disorder which is not to say he did not suffer from the ravages of these mental health issues. He had the money to afford the best treatment, but the sad truth is that, in some cases, even the best isn’t enough to save people." Mental health is a highly complex subject. I know a little about the subject having had to deal with depression and bipolar 1 disorder for over 70 years.
Part 4:
According to government statistics compiled in 2010, 60 percent of Americans with mental illness got no treatment within the previous year. People reported a variety of reasons—they couldn't pay for it, they thought they'd be fine, they didn't want others to learn about it. Even if that 60 percent figure is exaggerated, and even if conditions have improved, the problems are still widespread. And they are obviously not confined to the USA.
Although we’re accustomed to hearing about artists and their hidden "demons," Williams was such an effervescent, joyous presence that his struggles could put into sharper relief just how life-altering and devastating mental illness can be. They also put into sharp relief the seductive and insinuating quotient that is mental illness and, more so, when addictions and the frenzy of renown, celebrity, are mixed-into the equation. If he couldn't conquer it on his own, who could? The lesson would be, could be, one last, great contribution from an artist who has made so many contributions already.
"A quarter of the population suffers from mental health issues that could potentially drive suicidal thoughts," Moutier said. "This is a very important issue, from a public health standpoint, and one we need to bring to light."2-Ron Price with thanks to 1 The Economist, 12/8/'14, and 2The Washington Post, 13/8/'14.
Part 5:
It is my understanding
from what I have read
about you, Robin, that
you never received the
diagnosis....depression
and bipolar disorder..I
can hardly believe this!
Your addictions and your
health problems certainly
seem to indicate at least a
variety of bipolarity that is
known as cyclothymia, and
depression. I look forward
in the weeks ahead to reading
some of the analyses of what
the mental health issues that
you faced. Your death gives
society a wake-up call to deal
with mental health problems,
alcohol & the many addictions.
Ron Price
13/8/'14.
...a wake-up call for mental illness
Part 1:
News of the death of Robin Williams on 12/8/'14 stunned fans young and old. Comedians, actors, directors, many of the rich and famous who had been influenced by Williams paid their tributes. So, too, have millions of others now on social media in the first 48 hours since the first news of his suicide. Williams made his TV debut in the late 1970s TV comedy Mork & Mindy as a strange and lovable creature from outer space. At the time I had an 80 hour week with job responsibilities as a lecturer at what is now the University of Ballarat, and community responsibilities as the secretary of the local Baha'i community. I watched little TV in those years.
Williams had been open about his struggles with alcohol and cocaine and in the past months had entered a rehabilitation centre to help him maintain sobriety. But many questions remain over his final months and what could have led to his death. This post attempts to answer some of the questions that will arise.
On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, dozens of fans congregated around Williams' star on Tuesday, 12/8/'14, leaving flowers and candles to honour the versatile actor. Williams' appeal stretched across generations and genres, from family fare as the voice of Disney's blue genie in Aladdin to his portrayal of a fatherly therapist in the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting. Williams won the best supporting actor Oscar in 1998 for that portrayal.
The 1998 movie, Patch Adams, in which Williams plays a medical student who battled convention to treat his patients using laughter, earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Some of the most humorous and touching scenes of Williams' from his favourite roles to his recipe for success can be found now in cyberspace.
In 1998 I was just about to retire after a 50 year student-and-paid-employment-life, 1949 to 1999, and did not learn of the film until several years after I had taken a sea-change and an early retirement at age 55. In recent years I have watched more TV, at least two hours a day on average and have seen much of Robin Williams.
Part 2:
Williams' career was launched in 1973 when he became one of only 20 students accepted into the freshman class at Juilliard and one of only two students accepted into the Advanced Program at the school that year; the other was Christopher Reeve. The Juilliard School is widely regarded as one of the world's leading music schools, with some of the most prestigious arts programs.
In 1973 my teaching career had just begun to take-off when I was teaching in South Australia's first open plan secondary school. That same year I was hired to teach in Australia's first human relations training program for trainee teachers at the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. Of course, I knew nothing of Williams back then and neither did the millions and billions who would come to know him in the next 40 years.
Williams said that the favourite role which he played was Oliver Sachs in Awakenings. He said that he saw the role as a gift because he got to meet Sachs, and got to explore the human brain from the inside out. "Oliver writes about human behaviour subjectively," said Williams, "and that for me was the beginning of my fascination with human behaviour."
"In his stand-up specials and chat-show appearances," wrote a reviewer yesterday in The Economist, "he never seemed hold anything back. Dripping with sweat, pouring out words in torrents, he seemed to have no filters between his buzzing brain and the outside world. He could be endearingly open and honest about his own problems, his addiction to alcohol and cocaine, even while improvising delirious flights of fancy and flitting from character to character. Viewers loved him for it. Mr Williams had a versatility that few comedy superstars have matched."1
Part 3:
In June 2014 Williams spent time in the Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center in Minnesota, which helps patients maintain long-term sobriety. The death of Williams shook Hollywood, and colleagues mourned the loss of what many called a big-hearted man and one of the most inventive comedians of his time. "Robin Williams' suicide doesn't cross the line, but it comes very, very close to it," said Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention(AFSP).
"Suicide should never be presented as an option. That's a formula for potential contagion. Adolescents are most at risk of suicide contagion; in recent years, groups like AFSP have also become particularly attentive to the role the internet plays in romanticising notorious or high-profile deaths, something it has long asked both the news and entertainment industries to avoid.
One family acquaintance was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as follows: "Williams always had this sadness about him, this melancholy.” He had never been diagnosed with clinical depression or bipolar disorder which is not to say he did not suffer from the ravages of these mental health issues. He had the money to afford the best treatment, but the sad truth is that, in some cases, even the best isn’t enough to save people." Mental health is a highly complex subject. I know a little about the subject having had to deal with depression and bipolar 1 disorder for over 70 years.
Part 4:
According to government statistics compiled in 2010, 60 percent of Americans with mental illness got no treatment within the previous year. People reported a variety of reasons—they couldn't pay for it, they thought they'd be fine, they didn't want others to learn about it. Even if that 60 percent figure is exaggerated, and even if conditions have improved, the problems are still widespread. And they are obviously not confined to the USA.
Although we’re accustomed to hearing about artists and their hidden "demons," Williams was such an effervescent, joyous presence that his struggles could put into sharper relief just how life-altering and devastating mental illness can be. They also put into sharp relief the seductive and insinuating quotient that is mental illness and, more so, when addictions and the frenzy of renown, celebrity, are mixed-into the equation. If he couldn't conquer it on his own, who could? The lesson would be, could be, one last, great contribution from an artist who has made so many contributions already.
"A quarter of the population suffers from mental health issues that could potentially drive suicidal thoughts," Moutier said. "This is a very important issue, from a public health standpoint, and one we need to bring to light."2-Ron Price with thanks to 1 The Economist, 12/8/'14, and 2The Washington Post, 13/8/'14.
Part 5:
It is my understanding
from what I have read
about you, Robin, that
you never received the
diagnosis....depression
and bipolar disorder..I
can hardly believe this!
Your addictions and your
health problems certainly
seem to indicate at least a
variety of bipolarity that is
known as cyclothymia, and
depression. I look forward
in the weeks ahead to reading
some of the analyses of what
the mental health issues that
you faced. Your death gives
society a wake-up call to deal
with mental health problems,
alcohol & the many addictions.
Ron Price
13/8/'14.
Hi, Bubulous. Heavens, no need to apologize. I didn't think you were diagnosing him.
There are an awful lot of stuff out there on the internet that claim he is, and some coming from supposedly psychologists. If they were psychologists who actually saw him as a patient, they would be in violation of privacy acts, since he never said he had bipolar disorder himself. He has described his frenzied stand up comedy as "manic" a couple of times.
The thought does count, as you say, and it's obvious from your post that you felt for the man and he meant something to you in a very good and kind way and touched your life. That is how the family said they want him to be remembered. There is no harm done with your posting. This is just as good a place to post as anywhere else, in my point of view:)
There are an awful lot of stuff out there on the internet that claim he is, and some coming from supposedly psychologists. If they were psychologists who actually saw him as a patient, they would be in violation of privacy acts, since he never said he had bipolar disorder himself. He has described his frenzied stand up comedy as "manic" a couple of times.
The thought does count, as you say, and it's obvious from your post that you felt for the man and he meant something to you in a very good and kind way and touched your life. That is how the family said they want him to be remembered. There is no harm done with your posting. This is just as good a place to post as anywhere else, in my point of view:)
I was not trying to diagnose Robin Williams. Most of us who have been struggling with this for a while believe that he is because of his history and his acting. Sorry I should have put this on the depression forum but it was the thought that counted.
Btw, forcing someone off from committing suicide is usually last or the only resort. Just be aware that you are probably in for a fight and can put yourself and the one you are helping in even more risk to danger or harm. If you can talk them into coming a long with you, that is a much better approach, but even then, do not let them be alone because fleeing and changing one's mind happens.
Yes. I agree. Good article. One of the better ones I have seen that is actually practical and gives better information about a person intent on suicide. I can speak from knowing people who have committed suicide, helping people to steer away from it, and from my own suicide attempts.
I have a few thoughts about it.
After a few suicide attempts, it gets easier to bring it to completion. There's a learning curve to it.
Whether or not Robin Williams had bipolar disorder is not really the point, but he said depression was personal and he was up front about it, as well as his own addictions to alcohol and earlier, to cocaine. He never said he had bipolar disorder. He did say he struggled and suffered from depression, In the months prior to his death, he was seeking, being connected to help, and actively going to support groups. It also sounds like he recognized that he was depressed.
It does make a difference picking up the phone and telling someone you are in a bad way and that you feel you want to die or things would be better for everyone if you weren't around any longer, or that you can't take it anymore. I had all 3 and more of those thoughts and feelings very real inside of me. It's not something you can laugh off, but it is something that changes in intensity throughout the day.
It is never a good idea to leave someone alone with thoughts like that. It only takes a couple of minutes, and sometimes less to commit a suicide act. When you "jump," it is decisive. There's no confliction at that time, but being a suicide survivor, I have to say for myself, I did think that it was probably a bad idea after the fact, but there was really no going back.
The best thing that people did when I was suicidal was that they didn't believe me what I said, and they didn't leave me alone until I got seen in the emergency room or spoken to by my doctor. If got me to talk to my doctor over the phone, they always had me give the phone back to them or they called the doctor and asked him what to do. They trusted their gut feeling that I was just telling them I was okay, when things about me all said I wasn't. They knew I was having a hard time, and even though I seemed to be okay, there was something there that they didn't trust. They weren't sure I wasn't going to be impulsive about an attempt. So, they picked up the phone and called my doctor, my therapist, other friends, and sometimes, the police got involved.
It is not a comfortable thing to intervene and keep a person from commiting suicide, It is best to have support and back up for intervention. ideally, it is not to intervene alone. Someone has to stay with the person at all times and another person gets more support and basically does the legwork. It's never a good idea to argue a person out of it. It's not the time for argument, but a time for understanding and proactively getting the person to be safe. People, for the most part were kind to me when I was suicidal, and that spoke a lot to me. Yes, there were a few times people got angry at me for being suicidal and all that did was convince me that I shouldn't burden myself or society with being a bother or taking up space. When I think about how people got me off the ledge, they either forced me off of it or persuaded me to come a long with them and they never left me alone. For the most part, the only goal everyone had from friend to doctor was to get me into a hospital to be evaluated. Whether the intervener is a friend, family, doctor, nurse, concerned stranger or 1st responder, it is always a better intervention when you don't do it alone. It is like resusitating someone with CPR or life support, and it can take all day depending on the situation.
For people intervening, It is exhausting, takes a lot of energy, a lot of work and focus, and takes an emotional toll intervening. It is always a good idea to talk about what just happened, because it is also scary and it brings up a lot of stuff. I need to lie down and sleep after I intervene, but I usually talk about what just happened to someone else, before I lie down and I don't stop worrying about the person, even when they are in the hospital. I usually check in on them. A lot of questions, feelings and thoughts start coming out of a suicide intervention. Ideally, a person who intervenes needs to take time out for themselves. I already had a therapist, so that was very helpful to me.
I like the 6 minute online video, "Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge," in which a California Highway Patrol officer, Kevin Briggs, describes what he goes through when he intervenes when people are suicidal and chose the Golden Gate Bridge to jump. He intervened with hundreds of people.
I have a few thoughts about it.
After a few suicide attempts, it gets easier to bring it to completion. There's a learning curve to it.
Whether or not Robin Williams had bipolar disorder is not really the point, but he said depression was personal and he was up front about it, as well as his own addictions to alcohol and earlier, to cocaine. He never said he had bipolar disorder. He did say he struggled and suffered from depression, In the months prior to his death, he was seeking, being connected to help, and actively going to support groups. It also sounds like he recognized that he was depressed.
It does make a difference picking up the phone and telling someone you are in a bad way and that you feel you want to die or things would be better for everyone if you weren't around any longer, or that you can't take it anymore. I had all 3 and more of those thoughts and feelings very real inside of me. It's not something you can laugh off, but it is something that changes in intensity throughout the day.
It is never a good idea to leave someone alone with thoughts like that. It only takes a couple of minutes, and sometimes less to commit a suicide act. When you "jump," it is decisive. There's no confliction at that time, but being a suicide survivor, I have to say for myself, I did think that it was probably a bad idea after the fact, but there was really no going back.
The best thing that people did when I was suicidal was that they didn't believe me what I said, and they didn't leave me alone until I got seen in the emergency room or spoken to by my doctor. If got me to talk to my doctor over the phone, they always had me give the phone back to them or they called the doctor and asked him what to do. They trusted their gut feeling that I was just telling them I was okay, when things about me all said I wasn't. They knew I was having a hard time, and even though I seemed to be okay, there was something there that they didn't trust. They weren't sure I wasn't going to be impulsive about an attempt. So, they picked up the phone and called my doctor, my therapist, other friends, and sometimes, the police got involved.
It is not a comfortable thing to intervene and keep a person from commiting suicide, It is best to have support and back up for intervention. ideally, it is not to intervene alone. Someone has to stay with the person at all times and another person gets more support and basically does the legwork. It's never a good idea to argue a person out of it. It's not the time for argument, but a time for understanding and proactively getting the person to be safe. People, for the most part were kind to me when I was suicidal, and that spoke a lot to me. Yes, there were a few times people got angry at me for being suicidal and all that did was convince me that I shouldn't burden myself or society with being a bother or taking up space. When I think about how people got me off the ledge, they either forced me off of it or persuaded me to come a long with them and they never left me alone. For the most part, the only goal everyone had from friend to doctor was to get me into a hospital to be evaluated. Whether the intervener is a friend, family, doctor, nurse, concerned stranger or 1st responder, it is always a better intervention when you don't do it alone. It is like resusitating someone with CPR or life support, and it can take all day depending on the situation.
For people intervening, It is exhausting, takes a lot of energy, a lot of work and focus, and takes an emotional toll intervening. It is always a good idea to talk about what just happened, because it is also scary and it brings up a lot of stuff. I need to lie down and sleep after I intervene, but I usually talk about what just happened to someone else, before I lie down and I don't stop worrying about the person, even when they are in the hospital. I usually check in on them. A lot of questions, feelings and thoughts start coming out of a suicide intervention. Ideally, a person who intervenes needs to take time out for themselves. I already had a therapist, so that was very helpful to me.
I like the 6 minute online video, "Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge," in which a California Highway Patrol officer, Kevin Briggs, describes what he goes through when he intervenes when people are suicidal and chose the Golden Gate Bridge to jump. He intervened with hundreds of people.
Really good information! I read a book in treatment this last time that helped me too. It was called How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying To Kill Me
Yes I agree about the loss. Also this has some good ideas about preventative solutions for people who may be coping with the same concerns:
http://www.chicagonow.com/candid-candace/2014/08/rip-robin-williams-what-you-need-to-know-about-suicide/
http://www.chicagonow.com/candid-candace/2014/08/rip-robin-williams-what-you-need-to-know-about-suicide/
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