Can anyone share some insight into Robin Williams' depression?

I don't know about his case in particular, but depression can be caused by a neurological disorder that you really can't do anything about. It sneaks up on you one day and all of a sudden it's like everything's gone dark. Soon enough everything in life starts to feel pointless (rightly enough). Robin might've had a prolonged case of depression that nothing could be done about, and decided he'd like to finally end the suffering.

Giants were slumping when he took his life. He was a big fan, so that may have had a factor. Sadly the team has rebounded since his death...he would have enjoyed their current good play.

Probably triggered his depression with drugs.

I recently tried to watch some of his stand-up and some episodes of Mork and Mindy. I grew up without a TV in that era and wanted to see what I had missed.

I don't think I cracked a smile once. He didn't seem to be what I imagined he would be. I tend to laugh too easily at things as well.

Great actor though, but in more serious roles.

Extreme highs and extreme lows.

my first job out of college kept me busy for the first month or so, from then on my average schedule consisted of me getting something done on Monday possibly extending into Tuesday spending the rest of the week randomly browsing the web and getting paid $20 an hour to do so

I do not know if it is accurate (although I see no reason to dispute it), but there was a report that indicated that he had possible early symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. On top of significant depression that would be really hard for someone like Williams, I would guess.

Wife sleeping in a different room leaves in the morning and doesn't notice he's dead. Assistant shows up mid morning and finds him. Sounds like a happy life to me.

I heard an interesting interview with a guy who presented a different side of Robin Williams. Basically, pointed out that he was not that easy to be around. He wasn't the guy that was on stage and he was only "that guy" when he was performing. In the interview it was brought up that he did live a separate life in his own house, away from his family. He was surrounded by people who were making lots of money off of him and since everyone around him was making money, they put up with him being late for work, unusual behavior, drugs, etc. His last wife had been his nanny, then she became president of Robin Williams, Inc. or whatever his company was called, fired a lot of people, etc. No "real" friends, except for a few people.

Williams appeared to be manic depressive and likely, people only saw the manic side. According to the interview, he did a lot of drugs like cocaine. Being in a manic phase, high on coke, only makes the depressive phase seem even more low.

I could see that all being true and taking a huge toll on the guy, apparently his show being canceled was a tough thing for him, and add in the Parkinson's diagnosis and it probably overwhelmed him. It's too bad.

If he had a few "real" friends then he was truly blessed.

Most people ultimately have none - at best, just folks who enjoy some things together, at worst - leeches. But real friends who you never have to hide your real self from, who are on your side through thick and thin, who actually deeply care about you (not just enjoy hanging out with you at times)... Most have none.

It's pretty simple, not that complicated.

When you are severely depressed your mind ceases to function rationally, or at least, at a lesser level than when "healthy". At its deepest depths, the things you knew and loved lose value and ultimately any importance or meaning to you. Without any purpose or will to continue living you simply decide life is not worth living anymore and either end your own life or continue on in the depression clinging to whatever slim hope that things will improve.

If you throw in the diagnosis Williams got for Parkinson's on top of a severely depressed state as I describe it's not hard to appreciate that that may have been the last straw for him.

But you have to remember that ultimately a depressed person is not rational. They are not really themselves.

His depression was caused by usury and inflation.

He sounds like he always been depressed or even mildly bi-polar, which would explain drug overuse and manic behavior. He appeared unexpectedly at a small comedy club I was at, obviously coked-up and started complaining about how much the movies he had been in all sucked. That's not a healthy sign.

The psychiatric explanation of depression is pseudoscience. "Depression" is not a mental illness caused by a chemical imbalance, as the drug companies want us to believe. It is quite simply a natural emotional state resulting from a sustained negative evaluation of the facts of one's life. Realize that two different individuals may respond to the same circumstances differently because they each have different values, i.e. things that they consider important. Suicide is rational and justifiable when, for reasons beyond a person's control, his happiness is no longer possible. I know nothing of Robin Williams' reasons for committing suicide, but it is not the case that he was necessarily irrational just because he chose to end his life.

+1

so true, especially for those with their numerous fakebook ones. Quality over quantity every time.

There's a video on youtube called something like "The Truth about Robin Williams" that is pretty good if you have the time and interest to watch it. I can relate to Robin Williams I think.

Basically, from everything I have gathered, Robin was always playing a character trying to make people laugh. He didn't have any real friends who knew him well outside his persona. Furthermore, because he had been living like this pretty much his whole life (he was picked on as a child and learned to be funny as a defense mechanism), he probably didn't really know how to be a normal person and just talk and share time with people without always trying to make them laugh. I've watched lengthy interviews with him where the interviewer tries to get serious, and Robin just seems incapable of giving serious replies longer than 30 seconds without then making a joke or something. Beyond this, he had two failed marriages. I'm sure he felt very isolated, which is a huge cause of depression and suicide.

Robin had also been a drug and alcohol addict a big share of his life, which obviously goes hand in hand with depression and mental health. I'm not saying one causes the other or anything, just that it's an indication he wasn't super happy even long ago (really happy people generally don't turn to drugs and alcohol abuse).

Being diagnosed with Parkinson's was probably what drove him over the edge, but we don't really know.

Through his suicide I've realized a lot of people don't understand depression. It's not like people choose it, nor does it come from stupid things like being bored. It CAN be caused by chemical imbalances, but it can also come from supreme loneliness, a serious loss (like loved ones or the ability to continue living life as you like it), or even just feeling like there's nothing really to live for. Usually the feelings pass, but some people struggle with depression their whole life and can't seem to shake it no matter what they do. In most cases I think we should withhold judgement as it's impossible to know what life was like for someone like Robin Williams. How does anyone know what life is like for someone else simply by viewing them from the outside? You don't know what was going on inside their head or what they were feeling. Without living their life and having their experiences, you don't know.

It's a shame Robin Williams killed himself, and a real tragedy for his family. I am still upset about it myself. I've taken pleasure in re-watching some of his movies and appreciating that he was easily the most popular and loved comedian of the last 35 years. There's really no one else like him.

A lesson to all those who obsess over more and more money. You can have millions and be so unhappy you will kill yourself.

Great post! Thanks.

Guppy wrote:Robin had also been a drug and alcohol addict a big share of his life, which obviously goes hand in hand with depression and mental health. I'm not saying one causes the other or anything, just that it's an indication he wasn't super happy even long ago (really happy people generally don't turn to drugs and alcohol abuse).

Being diagnosed with Parkinson's was probably what drove him over the edge, but we don't really know.

I think the Parkinson's was the thing. I mean I'm not that depressed and I don't particularly want to go on living forever especially if something physical happens to me where I can't go outside and do what I want to do. He was a sporty dude rode his bike all the time and I think he was a talented 800 meter runner. I think its better just to celebrate his full accomplished life as well he probably thought it instead of thinking there's something to prevent or learn from.