Wow... first my buddy posts a FFDP song that guts me... then I see this (and I did a google search, to see if this was a hoax, even though huffpost isn't really in the fake news industry)
If it indeed is a suicide, I think it points out how, some of our most beloved comedians are some carrying around the most pain.
I have nothing to say that isn't trite, but the man made me laugh and provided untold hours of entertainment and reflection. I feel for his friends and family and wish them the best while they deal with this tragedy.
First Paul Walker, now him? Why couldn't it have been Bieber?* WHY GOD, WWWWWHHHHHHYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!
*Bieber ain't a rapist or pedo so I don't actually wish death on him. His death over Mr Williams is but the lesser of 2 evils. Personally I'd rather the beaver's bad attitude died.
RIP Robin Williams, you will be missed by many and adored by even more for years to come.
djphranq wrote: In light of this news (and because of other stuff I I've been reading on my feeds and such)...
1-800-273-8255 is a suicide prevention hotline. Do not be afraid or feel ashamed if you think you need to use it.
(Disclaimer: at least in the US it is... not sure of the equivalent from other places)
This is a good idea. I think we should have a sticky on this board about suicide prevention numbers for every country. Even if one person manages to pull through its worth the effort IMO. Off to the Nutz and Bolts.
This is truly a tragic day. Williams has touched all of us in some way, most commonly as the Genie in Aladdin. The man was a genius in all that he has done. The world is truly darker at his passing. I hope that those among us with religious beliefs follow my thought that such a great man doesn't deserve the flames-hopefully God made an exception and took him up.
You will be missed-you've done some amazing things, and you will never be forgotten.
So sad. I grew up with him as a little kid watching Mork and Mindy and then the AWESOME movies he has made. He made me laugh. He made me cry. I loved his work.
I think he was a great comedian and had an equally incredible talent for acting. It's sad to see somebody struggle with addition and take their life to escape that struggle. In clearer moments he brought a lot of laughter to the world and like many others I'm going to miss him.
Jesus this fething sucks. What does it say that one of the funniest people in the world commits suicide? There's an irony there that I think sucks ass.
Shazbot! My favorite actor. He is one of the few I ever bothered to learn the name of. A gamer, a humanitarian, a funny man, a true artist, and someone who will be missed.
timetowaste85 wrote: This is truly a tragic day. Williams has touched all of us in some way, most commonly as the Genie in Aladdin. The man was a genius in all that he has done. The world is truly darker at his passing. I hope that those among us with religious beliefs follow my thought that such a great man doesn't deserve the flames-hopefully God made an exception and took him up.
You will be missed-you've done some amazing things, and you will never be forgotten.
In my religion, i prefer to believe he was taken to valhalla
Ensis Ferrae wrote:Wow... first my buddy posts a FFDP song that guts me... then I see this (and I did a google search, to see if this was a hoax, even though huffpost isn't really in the fake news industry)
If it indeed is a suicide, I think it points out how, some of our most beloved comedians are some carrying around the most pain.
Frankenberry wrote:Jesus this fething sucks. What does it say that one of the funniest people in the world commits suicide? There's an irony there that I think sucks ass.
People aren't aware that comedians are frequently depressed or have at least a pessimistic outlook?
People aren't aware that comedians are frequently depressed or have at least a pessimistic outlook?
I think there are some out there who do realize that many comedians are the way they are because they carry a bunch of gak around and can be some of the most depressed people out there... but others not so much.
I'm speechless, and more then a little grief stricken, I mean I was no super fan, but he was one of those people you just knew and loved no matter what they did, to see him leave the world, even worse by his own hands, is beyond the scope of the word "tragic"...
Rest in peace Mr. Robin Williams, thanks for all the years of laughter...
Not many Celebrity deaths get to me, this one did hard. I truly am sad over this. I thought it was a hoax because that does happen on the internet from time to time. But after more and more news covered it, reality set in.
Breotan wrote: Am I the only one who finds these suicide hotline posts creepy?
I would like to say "yes" but it probably isn't the case.
It's part of the reason that people suffering from suicidal thoughts are stigmatized in our society; honest talk about it is considered "creepy" and avoided so people end up suffering in silence.
I grew up with comedy, and his was some of the best. I still remember this early appearance of his, which we used to watch all the time. The man was brilliant, and I find myself sometimes using the same voices and mannerisms he used just because they still make me laugh.
I haven't felt this bummed since Richard Jeni died.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: I grew up with comedy, and his was some of the best. I still remember this early appearance of his, which we used to watch all the time. The man was brilliant, and I find myself sometimes using the same voices and mannerisms he used just because they still make me laugh.
I haven't felt this bummed since Richard Jeni died.
BobtheInquisitor wrote: I grew up with comedy, and his was some of the best. I still remember this early appearance of his, which we used to watch all the time. The man was brilliant, and I find myself sometimes using the same voices and mannerisms he used just because they still make me laugh.
I haven't felt this bummed since Richard Jeni died.
Breotan wrote: Am I the only one who finds these suicide hotline posts creepy?
I would like to say "yes" but it probably isn't the case.
It's part of the reason that people suffering from suicidal thoughts are stigmatized in our society; honest talk about it is considered "creepy" and avoided so people end up suffering in silence.
Honest talk isn't creepy. Hotline posts on Dakka in a thread about Robin Williams is creepy. Seriously, it's got a ghoulish vibe to it and not in a WHFB kind of way.
Meh, maybe it's just me.
Anway, back to the topic at hand, I was saddened to see Robin took his life. Normally I hold a derisive view of suicides but he was battling severe depression according to one of the articles I read and that can really mess up your will to live. Combined with drugs and, I guess it was inevitable. Still, I really hate to see people I like go too soon.
Breotan wrote: Am I the only one who finds these suicide hotline posts creepy?
I would like to say "yes" but it probably isn't the case.
It's part of the reason that people suffering from suicidal thoughts are stigmatized in our society; honest talk about it is considered "creepy" and avoided so people end up suffering in silence.
Honest talk isn't creepy. Hotline posts on Dakka in a thread about Robin Williams is creepy. Seriously, it's got a ghoulish vibe to it and not in a WHFB kind of way.
Meh, maybe it's just me.
To me it is a perfect time and place to raise awareness of suicide and how it could be prevented.
Suicide and depression are stigmatized by society at large so when we all see someone who dedicated their life to making people laugh (not to mention all the other great things he did to support troops, kids with terminal diseases, etc.) commit suicide, it will open the eyes of the public. Maybe someone suffering from depression will be inspired to reach out for help. Maybe someone who has a dismissive view of depression and suicide will realize the people that actually suffer from this disease aren't all shut-ins dressed all in black living in their parents basement cutting themselves to a Joy Division record but normal people that outwardly appear like everyone else.
Now I'm not saying you personally think that, but I am just illustrating a point.
Truly sad news. My sympathies to his family and friends for their loss.
It is saddening that instead of conquering his demons as it had seemed, that it appears he had just gotten better at masking his pain.
I wish that I could say this was a complete surprise but his struggles with depression and self-destructive behaviors are well known.
I used to be inspired by how he would take his deep inner sadness and use it to portray both comedic and tragic characters. Now I wish that he had found a path to healing instead.
For me and many others another person who brought joy to our childhood has died and passed into legend. He will be remembered.
Wow....first my favorite Ghostbuster dies now Robin Williams....methinks this year is going to be a very bad one. Doubly so if Bill Murray or Dan Aykroyd bite it as well..
His stand up was great, his performance in Aladdin was perfect, and he raised a lot of money (with Crystal and Goldberg) for the homeless with his Comic Relief programs in the 80s and 90s.
Breotan wrote: Am I the only one who finds these suicide hotline posts creepy?
I would like to say "yes" but it probably isn't the case.
It's part of the reason that people suffering from suicidal thoughts are stigmatized in our society; honest talk about it is considered "creepy" and avoided so people end up suffering in silence.
Honest talk isn't creepy. Hotline posts on Dakka in a thread about Robin Williams is creepy. Seriously, it's got a ghoulish vibe to it and not in a WHFB kind of way.
Meh, maybe it's just me.
To me it is a perfect time and place to raise awareness of suicide and how it could be prevented.
Agreed, especially since it's not uncommon for suicidal thoughts to increase or occur due to the death of a loved one or someone that's looked up to by the person.
Robin Williams, you will be missed. I wish I had more of your work on hand so that I could memorialize you in a more significant way.
And I agree, suicide is never good and people need to be told it is not ok to do and to seek help. I support any type of awareness out of this to help people not do what Robin Williams did. Celebrating Rrobin Williams for his act encourages others who feel under-appreciated to take the 'they will miss me when i'm gone' approach which is bad.
He shouldn't be celebrated for killing himself, and this idea that he needs to be re-remembered now reeks of attention grabbing. I do not celebrate suicides or those who commit them. They want to not exist, they then can not exist.
nkelsch wrote: Any update on *WHY* he committed suicide?
And I agree, suicide is never good and people need to be told it is not ok to do and to seek help. I support any type of awareness out of this to help people not do what Robin Williams did. Celebrating Rrobin Williams for his act encourages others who feel under-appreciated to take the 'they will miss me when i'm gone' approach which is bad.
He shouldn't be celebrated for killing himself, and this idea that he needs to be re-remembered now reeks of attention grabbing. I do not celebrate suicides or those who commit them. They want to not exist, they then can not exist.
Supposedly we'll hear from the officials around 2pm ET.
Slarg232 wrote: First Steve Irwin, and now Robin Williams. All of my childhood heroes are dying before their time
Dude don't start a bad luck trend. If bill Nye the science guy goes i'll be super p*ssed.
To be fair, one died of being an idiot (by many's estimations) the other had some major mental health problems.
As a friend of mine on FB posted on one of the news sites: I do wonder if this will change people's opinions on suicide and depression. Only a week ago, news broke of a mother/wife who had committed suicide, and FB people were almost unanimously calling this lady weak and selfish, but if you really pay attention those same people are expressing gratitude towards the work that Williams did, and expressing grief for his family and friends. Perhaps Robin Williams' death, as sad as it is, can be a catalyst into getting more research and proper care to people suffering from what is ultimately a disease that's just as bad as the flu or Leukemia.
nkelsch wrote: Any update on *WHY* he committed suicide?
And I agree, suicide is never good and people need to be told it is not ok to do and to seek help. I support any type of awareness out of this to help people not do what Robin Williams did. Celebrating Robin Williams for his act encourages others who feel under-appreciated to take the 'they will miss me when i'm gone' approach which is bad.
He shouldn't be celebrated for killing himself, and this idea that he needs to be re-remembered now reeks of attention grabbing. I do not celebrate suicides or those who commit them. They want to not exist, they then can not exist.
Breotan wrote: Normally I hold a derisive view of suicides but he was battling severe depression according to one of the articles I read and that can really mess up your will to live.
I just wanted to point out that the vast majority of people who commit suicide are suffering from some kind of mental illness.
nkelsch wrote: Any update on *WHY* he committed suicide?
And I agree, suicide is never good and people need to be told it is not ok to do and to seek help. I support any type of awareness out of this to help people not do what Robin Williams did. Celebrating Robin Williams for his act encourages others who feel under-appreciated to take the 'they will miss me when i'm gone' approach which is bad.
He shouldn't be celebrated for killing himself, and this idea that he needs to be re-remembered now reeks of attention grabbing. I do not celebrate suicides or those who commit them. They want to not exist, they then can not exist.
Breotan wrote: Normally I hold a derisive view of suicides but he was battling severe depression according to one of the articles I read and that can really mess up your will to live.
I just wanted to point out that the vast majority of people who commit suicide are suffering from some kind of mental illness.
And yet, people are perfectly willing to ignore the mental illness but celebrate their lives when they are gone. Makes no sense to me.
And it makes a cycle of people see suicide as a valid out when they see suicides celebrated like this. I don't like it. Why didn't people like the devastated Sarah Michelle Gellar who worked with him daily do something? where is Robin William's family?
I do think that people need to also speak up. If you have had even a fleeting thought of suicide, you are super close to the edge and don't realize it. You need to tell someone, you need to get help. And if you hear someone even joke about suicide, it is time to get help.
No one deals with the causes but celebrates the results. That is a bad message.
And yet, people are perfectly willing to ignore the mental illness but celebrate their lives when they are gone. Makes no sense to me.
And it makes a cycle of people see suicide as a valid out when they see suicides celebrated like this. I don't like it. Why didn't people like the devastated Sarah Michelle Gellar who worked with him daily do something? where is Robin William's family?
I do think that people need to also speak up. If you have had even a fleeting thought of suicide, you are super close to the edge and don't realize it. You need to tell someone, you need to get help. And if you hear someone even joke about suicide, it is time to get help.
No one deals with the causes but celebrates the results. That is a bad message.
I don't think people are "celebrating" the results of mental illness... Yes, they are celebrating his work, and all the things that made many of us laugh/smile, but how difficult is it for us, who don't know the inner turmoil that Robin Williams had to understand just what he was going through? I say that it's better to celebrate the life that he lived than to focus on the fact that he killed himself.
As for people not doing "something" about mental illness... well, I can tell you as someone who has/does suffer from some mental illness that people are EXTREMELY good at hiding the pain and suffering. There are of course, warning signs that people can watch for, but outside of the military (because we go through quarterly training on suicide prevention when I was in) really know and understand those signs?
But there is also something to be said about how horrible people in society can be. Last week, there was a news report posted on a local outlet's page about a woman who'd been missing, she'd been found near her vehicle and police were calling it a suicide, pending investigation... The horrible gak that people were commenting about her being selfish and a horrible mother, etc were, sadly, no longer shocking to me... but then I viewed the articles posted to the same website regarding Robin Williams suicide, and the same usernames are making comments to the exact opposite.
I agree that we don't really "deal" with the causes, but I think that people are beginning to change their thinking on suicide and mental health as a whole, so maybe in the coming months and years, we'll get more research into this (well, more money for existing research or something) to better understand depression and mental health, and the things that lead some to take their own lives.
Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
Da Boss wrote: Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
Surely you realise by now many people are scum/don't understand anything?
Da Boss wrote: Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
I know many cancer victims who would disagree with you. The difference is a cancer patient acknowledges their issue, seeks treatment and fights to survive. A person with a mental illness who doesn't seek treatment, ignores their symptoms and then kills themselves is in no way 'fighting to survive' like someone with cancer.
To try to elevate them to that level is a little disingenuous. While forms of addiction and mental illness are diseases, at some point there is a level of responsibility when it comes to recognizing symptoms and seeking treatment. To compare that to people who are actually battling cancer with every tool available as aggressively as possible is pretty bad.
I actually feel worse for people who lack access to treatment or education to know about such diseases. Robin Williams is not someone who is lacking access to resources or is obliviously uneducated. To compare him to someone who died fighting cancer would have required for him to seek treatment for his addiction and depression.
Da Boss wrote: Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
I know many cancer victims who would disagree with you. The difference is a cancer patient acknowledges their issue, seeks treatment and fights to survive. A person with a mental illness who doesn't seek treatment, ignores their symptoms and then kills themselves is in no way 'fighting to survive' like someone with cancer.
To try to elevate them to that level is a little disingenuous. While forms of addiction and mental illness are diseases, at some point there is a level of responsibility when it comes to recognizing symptoms and seeking treatment. To compare that to people who are actually battling cancer with every tool available as aggressively as possible is pretty bad.
I actually feel worse for people who lack access to treatment or education to know about such diseases. Robin Williams is not someone who is lacking access to resources or is obliviously uneducated. To compare him to someone who died fighting cancer would have required for him to seek treatment for his addiction and depression.
Robin Williams was clean and had beaten his addictions to all reports, he openly talked about his recovery and the process that took for him. The reality of the situation is that EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE TREATMENT depression can and WILL kill you. Just like Cancer you can have the best doctors and treatment in the world and it'll still put you in a box. Depression... I realize you've CLEARLY never dealt with depression, it's not just something you magically cure. It's a serious problem that in many cases doesn't go away, it can stop you from seeking treatment amongst other things as well. It's hard to outrun the monsters when YOU are the monster.
Da Boss wrote: Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
I know many cancer victims who would disagree with you. The difference is a cancer patient acknowledges their issue, seeks treatment and fights to survive. A person with a mental illness who doesn't seek treatment, ignores their symptoms and then kills themselves is in no way 'fighting to survive' like someone with cancer.
To try to elevate them to that level is a little disingenuous. While forms of addiction and mental illness are diseases, at some point there is a level of responsibility when it comes to recognizing symptoms and seeking treatment. To compare that to people who are actually battling cancer with every tool available as aggressively as possible is pretty bad.
I actually feel worse for people who lack access to treatment or education to know about such diseases. Robin Williams is not someone who is lacking access to resources or is obliviously uneducated. To compare him to someone who died fighting cancer would have required for him to seek treatment for his addiction and depression.
Robin Williams was clean and had beaten his addictions to all reports, he openly talked about his recovery and the process that took for him. The reality of the situation is that EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE TREATMENT depression can and WILL kill you. Just like Cancer you can have the best doctors and treatment in the world and it'll still put you in a box. Depression... I realize you've CLEARLY never dealt with depression, it's not just something you magically cure. It's a serious problem that in many cases doesn't go away, it can stop you from seeking treatment amongst other things as well. It's hard to outrun the monsters when YOU are the monster.
Well said, KM.
Lots of assumptions and bad information being thrown around in this thread. Perhaps we should steer things back to the discussion of Robin Williams' career and leave the arm-chair psychology out.
Da Boss wrote: Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
I know many cancer victims who would disagree with you. The difference is a cancer patient acknowledges their issue, seeks treatment and fights to survive. A person with a mental illness who doesn't seek treatment, ignores their symptoms and then kills themselves is in no way 'fighting to survive' like someone with cancer.
To try to elevate them to that level is a little disingenuous. While forms of addiction and mental illness are diseases, at some point there is a level of responsibility when it comes to recognizing symptoms and seeking treatment. To compare that to people who are actually battling cancer with every tool available as aggressively as possible is pretty bad.
I actually feel worse for people who lack access to treatment or education to know about such diseases. Robin Williams is not someone who is lacking access to resources or is obliviously uneducated. To compare him to someone who died fighting cancer would have required for him to seek treatment for his addiction and depression.
I really liked the part where you repeatedly expect people suffering mental illnesses to behave in logical and well reasoned ways and then blame them and place fault on them when they don't.
His was a life that touched many and brought a smile to many faces. It's a terrible tragedy for his family, friends and all those who work and who worked with him; as well as his many adoring fans.
To lose a life through any means is a terrible sad thing.
It is oft my observation that many who argue that those who commit suicide are selfish or weak are often those who, deep down, are most affected by such deaths. And that such it is often an expression of grief and lack of understanding than it is one of hostile intent (even if it comes out wrongly). Indeed much of the time it is an expression people make when they've no comprehension of how a person could bring themselves to such a point as to end their own life.
My only hope is that if some good might come from this that more people are made aware of and are thus brought out of ignorance regarding mental health issues that others suffer from. Indeed I hope that as a result we might all be more vigilant and capable of at least spotting and helping others to seek the right medical and psychological support to help avoid more from the same fate.
Fighting over what horrific illness, be it mental or physical, is the "worst" or which sufferers "suffer the most" or any other such arguments are, in my view, silly and at worst insulting to all those who suffer from life changing illness of mind and/or body. It is better to focus your energies upon how you might help rather than upon justification of who you choose not to wish to help.
KalashnikovMarine wrote: The real Airman Cronauer responds to the death of Robin Williams. I think he has an interesting perspective considering Robin played him.
One thing I felt should be pointed out from that article... 200-300 of his "closest" friends?? GFTOH... I get that he's a celebrity and a movie star, but he's still a person, and I don't know of any real life person who is legitimately close with 200+ people. If they had said 20-30 then I could believe it. But, it also kind of shows that the hollywood definition of things, and the manner of life that he lived must have had a profound effect on his well being. (which we all know, as he'd been through rehab)
KalashnikovMarine wrote: The real Airman Cronauer responds to the death of Robin Williams. I think he has an interesting perspective considering Robin played him.
One thing I felt should be pointed out from that article... 200-300 of his "closest" friends?? GFTOH... I get that he's a celebrity and a movie star, but he's still a person, and I don't know of any real life person who is legitimately close with 200+ people.
That number jumped out at me too, however, given the reports by fans and other celebrities regarding how gracious and pleasant to be around Robin Williams was, in his case, I can accept that Robin Williams had that many people in his life whom he considered good friends. This guy worked almost constantly and seemed to genuinely like to interact with people. That gave him plenty of opportunity to make connections with others. Personalities like his are easy to flock to, and friendships can blossom where they would otherwise wither with a different person.
Having not met the man this is all idle speculation on my part, but Williams didn't have a reputation for being a dick. Quite the opposite in fact, and so why shouldn't he have a legion of close friends?
nkelsch, let's not drag this off topic, but people no more "fight" cancer than they fight mental illness. Robin Williams sought treatment for his addictions and depression.
A person with a positive attitude and "willpower" is just as likely to die from cancer as a pessimist with no "willpower". Your "fighting spirit" has nothing to do with whether or not tumours cause you to die.
Da Boss wrote: Calling someone weak because they died from suicide after a long struggle with mental illness is like calling someone weak for dying after a long struggle with cancer.
I know many cancer victims who would disagree with you. The difference is a cancer patient acknowledges their issue, seeks treatment and fights to survive. A person with a mental illness who doesn't seek treatment, ignores their symptoms and then kills themselves is in no way 'fighting to survive' like someone with cancer.
To try to elevate them to that level is a little disingenuous. While forms of addiction and mental illness are diseases, at some point there is a level of responsibility when it comes to recognizing symptoms and seeking treatment. To compare that to people who are actually battling cancer with every tool available as aggressively as possible is pretty bad.
I actually feel worse for people who lack access to treatment or education to know about such diseases. Robin Williams is not someone who is lacking access to resources or is obliviously uneducated. To compare him to someone who died fighting cancer would have required for him to seek treatment for his addiction and depression.
I really liked the part where you repeatedly expect people suffering mental illnesses to behave in logical and well reasoned ways and then blame them and place fault on them when they don't.
They are not the same as people fighting cancer.
And to celebrate his suicide sends a wrong message to all those currently suffering from depression. They should be sending the message of 'if you have thoughts or even think you might have depression, seek treatment."
People should seek treatment for diseases. They should see doctors regularly. Family and friends should look for warning signs. Not 'ignore it all' and have a nice cake at the wake.
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Da Boss wrote: nkelsch, let's not drag this off topic, but people no more "fight" cancer than they fight mental illness. Robin Williams sought treatment for his addictions and depression.
A person with a positive attitude and "willpower" is just as likely to die from cancer as a pessimist with no "willpower". Your "fighting spirit" has nothing to do with whether or not tumours cause you to die.
Lots of people don't 'die' of cancer... they die of complications of the chemo. Simple things like getting out of bed while in massive pain and walking for 10 minutes every hour can help one 'survive' chemo. You die from water in your lungs. You die from not circulating your blood in your extremities, you die by relying too much on painkillers. You die of low immune system. You die from falling down and breaking your hip due to low blood pressure. Simple acts of consciously enduring the pain and doing painful actions to prevent bed rot is crucial to survival.
You are full of it if you don't think 'fighting spirit' absolutely has a role in chemotherapy and recovery from most serious hospitalized illnesses. You don't die of the illness, you die from lying in a bed and not doing anything.
Last I checked no one was celebrating his death - they are celebrating his life and remembering what he did and brought to the world and people. Even if its something so simple as a smile and a laugh.
nkelsch wrote: You don't die of the illness, you die from lying in a bed and not doing anything.
I think you might mean something other than what you have written.
The only celebration here is what he did for other people. He was an active fund raiser for local (SF area) arts, he did a lot for the homeless, and he made tons of people laugh.
Saying this is a celebration for suicide and mental illness is a stretch.
However USING this as a platform or spring board to get more information out to people that might be suffering from depression and to tell them what options are available to them is not a bad thing, IMHO.
kronk wrote: The only celebration here is what he did for other people. He was an active fund raiser for local (SF area) arts, he did a lot for the homeless, and he made tons of people laugh.
Saying this is a celebration for suicide and mental illness is a stretch.
However USING this as a platform or spring board to get more information out to people that might be suffering from depression and to tell them what options are available to them is not a bad thing, IMHO.
Indeed.
His comics also has an inkling of truth, which is a hallmark of sucessful comics. My two favorites are: A) How do you know God exists and he's a stoner too? Just look at the platypus.
B) God only gave men enough blood for either the brain or the penis... but, not both.
If I may; speaking as someone who just recently sought treatment for depression, after having it for years...
Calling someone with a mental illness weak for not being able to beat it is like calling someone with a broken back weak for not walking to the hospital to get treatment. The very organ needed to recognize and fight the condition is the one being immediately crippled by it.
But anger is just another stage of grief. Blaming the victim is no more valid than praising the act, but it's human and understandable. When the world loses someone like Williams we all look for easy answers, but there just aren't any.
d-usa wrote: What about people with cancer who get depressed? Are they extra weak or extra strong or does it cancel out?
They cancer each outher out.
Sorry for the pun
I suffered from a major depression for more than 6 years when I was younger and I successfully battled cancer for the last few years - and am still recovering. I don't want to delve into such a discussion as I don't think that a tabletop forum is anywhere near suitable for such a discussion. Just one plea: don't "compare" those two diseases. Both are gakky. Absolutely, fething gakky. Yet they are different, a lot actually, and comparing those just because both are conditions that "suck", they feel differently.
Lots of people don't 'die' of cancer... they die of complications of the chemo. Simple things like getting out of bed while in massive pain and walking for 10 minutes every hour can help one 'survive' chemo. You die from water in your lungs. You die from not circulating your blood in your extremities, you die by relying too much on painkillers. You die of low immune system. You die from falling down and breaking your hip due to low blood pressure. Simple acts of consciously enduring the pain and doing painful actions to prevent bed rot is crucial to survival.
The vast majority of people die from caner. Not from chemo. Not from "weak spirits". Not from any of that crap.
People die because the lesions spread to their brain, slowly cutting of the circulation until individual parts of their brain die and they don't remember how to do anything or no longer recognize the person they were married to for the last 40 years. The lesions grow and grow, compressing the brain until they have seizure after seizure, bashing their head into the floor and choking on their own secretions from biting their tongue or puking while dying covered in gak from their seizure and the entire time they are dying they are staring at their spouse for 30 years whom they no longer remember
People die because the lesions are wrapping around their spinal cord, slowly cutting their brain off from the rest of their body until their diaphragm no longer receives the message to breathe and they die from asphyxia while being fully conscious of what is happening. Others die because the cancer cut of their spinal cord from the rest of the body and they become quadriplegic and die from complications from that.
People die because the lesions are cutting through their bowels, and they can no longer receive nutrition of any kind or realize that they have cancer only after their stool already leaked into their abdominal cavity and poisoned them to death.
People die because the lesions invade the liver or the kidneys, killing the healthy cells one by one and cutting off the circulation until the organs no longer work and the body dies after days and weeks of poisoning itself.
I took care of a lady with lung cancer that was so severe that it was growing through her skin and outside her body, getting bigger and bigger until it eventually squeezed her heart to the extend that it could no longer pump any blood to her brain.
And yes, people also die because the pain keeps them in bed. The pain prevents them from participating in treatment. The pain prevents another round of chemo. But that doesn't mean that they are weak or don't have a "fighting spirit".
And in the exact same way, people suffering from mental illness die because of the disease. Because that is what mental illness is, a disease. It is a biological disease of the brain that affects how that organ works and has a very real and significant impact on the rest of your body. Despite the name of "mental" illness, it is a very real biological illness that requires real treatment. And it can kill people the same as cancer can kill people. Medications can restore the balance of the chemicals in the brain, and non-medical therapy doesn't "cure" depression as much as it teaches people how to adapt and live with it in the same way as physical therapy often doesn't take away the effects of cancer but teaches people how to adapt to their new physical limitations and live with them.
Cancer patients and mental health patients; neither group is stronger than the other. Both groups have people that die from it, both groups have people that kill themselves because they can no longer deal, and both groups have people who manage to make it through thanks to will power.
You are full of it if you don't think 'fighting spirit' absolutely has a role in chemotherapy and recovery from most serious hospitalized illnesses. You don't die of the illness, you die from lying in a bed and not doing anything.
Yet people with fighting spirit still die every single day. Because the disease is real and it kills. Either disease.
And different attitudes that are out there, expressed by posts such as yours, will keep people from seeking treatment. Because people who already feel down and weak and who have been beaten into submission by their brains read posts such as yours and realize that there are lots of people out there who don't believe that their disease is real and that people accuse them of not having "fighting spirit" or the willpower to just get over it. So they will not seek treatment, because doing that would only stigmatize them further and expose them to people who write stuff like what you wrote and then they will feel even weaker.
That's why we should use the fact that a man that has a well documented struggle with depression, who has received treatment and spoken out about it and who took his own lie after decades of fighting it, and use it to teach people that it is a real disease that can affect anybody and that it is never wrong to seek treatment for it and that they should not be judged for it. Let this be an opportunity to further raise awareness of the fact that mental illness is a real disease and that it can eat at you for decades like a cancer and kill you if you don't seek treatment. And like cancer it can kill you even with treatment.
But saying that people with depression should just have more willpower or more fighting spirit is as stupid as saying that people who have a heart attack should just have a heart that pumps blood more efficiently.
And different attitudes that are out there, expressed by posts such as yours, will keep people from seeking treatment. Because people who already feel down and weak and who have been beaten into submission by their brains read posts such as yours and realize that there are lots of people out there who don't believe that their disease is real and that people accuse them of not having "fighting spirit" or the willpower to just get over it. So they will not seek treatment, because doing that would only stigmatize them further and expose them to people who write stuff like what you wrote and then they will feel even weaker.
That's why we should use the fact that a man that has a well documented struggle with depression, who has received treatment and spoken out about it and who took his own lie after decades of fighting it, and use it to teach people that it is a real disease that can affect anybody and that it is never wrong to seek treatment for it and that they should not be judged for it. Let this be an opportunity to further raise awareness of the fact that mental illness is a real disease and that it can eat at you for decades like a cancer and kill you if you don't seek treatment. And like cancer it can kill you even with treatment.
But saying that people with depression should just have more willpower or more fighting spirit is as stupid as saying that people who have a heart attack should just have a heart that pumps blood more efficiently.
As someone with a father who doesn't believe mental illness exists bar "crazies", I exalt you for this.
kronk wrote: The only celebration here is what he did for other people. He was an active fund raiser for local (SF area) arts, he did a lot for the homeless, and he made tons of people laugh.
Not to mention he did a ton of USO stuff, as well as in the mid 2000s, some charity bike riding with the now "infamous" Lance Armstrong.
I was talking earlier about seeing him on stage in his days before Mork and Mindy.
He was opening for some singer whose name escapes me, but I remember Robin vividly dancing around the stage singing "Rawhide" at the top of his lungs and mocking the campus cafeteria.
It got to the point where he had to stop for a bit because people were laughing so hard he couldn't be heard.
Robin Williams' daughter has been forced off Twitter after internet trolls posted a fake photograph claiming it was her dead father.
Zelda Williams, 25, made an appeal to her 169,000 followers to report two users on Twitter who sent the image to her account.
Lots of people don't 'die' of cancer... they die of complications of the chemo.
You have no idea what you are talking about, either with cancer or mental health. Please please please go out and educate your self on both cancer and depression before talking any more about either. You are the reason both illnesses are so stigmatized.
I have known many strong people I know battle with depression, mental health problems and addiction. Attitudes like yours are toxic, both poisoning others so people do not seek help for fear of being seen as weak, and making them feel they have failed when they read attitudes like that. People do seek help every day for depression and addiction, but even with the best help it does not always work, any more than cancer treatments always work.
Sorry this is off topic, but knowing people with metal health problems and addictions I feel that every single person who points out the stupidity of attitudes like nkelsch's helps fight the ignorance and pain.
Robin Williams' daughter has been forced off Twitter after internet trolls posted a fake photograph claiming it was her dead father.
Zelda Williams, 25, made an appeal to her 169,000 followers to report two users on Twitter who sent the image to her account.
.. as you do
Stay classy, social media.
Hopefully these people's identities get revealed and they receive the gakstorm they deserve.
Lots of people don't 'die' of cancer... they die of complications of the chemo.
You have no idea what you are talking about, either with cancer or mental health. Please please please go out and educate your self on both cancer and depression before talking any more about either. You are the reason both illnesses are so stigmatized.
Lots of people don't 'die' of cancer... they die of complications of the chemo.
You have no idea what you are talking about, either with cancer or mental health. Please please please go out and educate your self on both cancer and depression before talking any more about either. You are the reason both illnesses are so stigmatized.
How is cancer stigmatized?
Cancer is still treated as taboo. You don't talk about it, you don't mention it. People fear getting tested and see it as a death senescent. Many people find that they are either treated as being "unclean", inappropriately disabled, weak, unable to make choices about there treatment or blamed for having it, especially with cancers that sometimes have a lifestyle link, such as skin, lung and bowel cancer.
Lots of people don't 'die' of cancer... they die of complications of the chemo.
You have no idea what you are talking about, either with cancer or mental health. Please please please go out and educate your self on both cancer and depression before talking any more about either. You are the reason both illnesses are so stigmatized.
How is cancer stigmatized?
Cancer is still treated as taboo. You don't talk about it, you don't mention it. People fear getting tested and see it as a death senescent. Many people find that they are either treated as being "unclean", inappropriately disabled, weak, unable to make choices about there treatment or blamed for having it, especially with cancers that sometimes have a lifestyle link, such as skin, lung and bowel cancer.
I wonder if that's a more common attitude in the UK. Multiple close friends and family of mine have had cancer (some survived it, some died from it) and I have literally never experienced what you are talking about.
I wonder if that's a more common attitude in the UK. Multiple close friends and family of mine have had cancer (some survived it, some died from it) and I have literally never experienced what you are talking about.
No idea. I have only know a few people with cancer, and of the people close enough to actually talk to them about it one was lung and two were throat, both seen as "smoking diseases", even though only one was a smoker, so I know I don't have much experience to draw on, just what I have seen and heard in the media. Mostly it is down to a fear that cancer is a death sentence and treatment is not about recovery, but staving of the inevitable, neither of which are true any more.
As someone who battles with depression as well, it is a shame that someone with as many resources as he had could not find the right support group/friends/family to help him through it.
Depression is scary when it is treated, it is terrorizing when you have it and cant find the solution.
d-usa wrote: This might be one of the best pictures I have seen regarding mental health awareness:
I find it amazing (in that weird way scary things can be amazing) that a man with such a marvelous sense of humor and who so often seemed so jovial could be so sad on the inside. I've never followed him outside of film so most of this stuff about his long battle with depression is new to me. Its a bizarre thing to learn about, and reinforces all the things I've learned about how hard it is for common people to rectify themselves with mental illness. Robin Williams strikes me as the last man on earth who would battle depression, but he did.
I wonder if that's a more common attitude in the UK. Multiple close friends and family of mine have had cancer (some survived it, some died from it) and I have literally never experienced what you are talking about.
the ONLY kind of cancer I've ever come across in the US that is remotely stigmatized by society in any way is Lung cancer, as Steve pointed out, it's still seen as a "smoker's" disease
We don't tend to stigmatize cancer that much in the US so I find that a bit odd. I've known a lot of people with cancer as well as cancer survivors and I don't recall anyone having a poor attitude toward them. Must be a cultural thing.
I think you guys are looking at it the wrong way, we don't stigmatize having the disease (cancer, depression) in the United States necessarily, but we do see stigma and criticism and against how people react to that. Telling people with depression to just "get over it" and the like is terribly common (been there, heard that) and cancer patients cop a surprising amount of flak if they don't put on some bs smile or brave tragic hero figure type thing.
I find it amazing (in that weird way scary things can be amazing) that a man with such a marvelous sense of humor and who so often seemed so jovial could be so sad on the inside. I've never followed him outside of film so most of this stuff about his long battle with depression is new to me. Its a bizarre thing to learn about, and reinforces all the things I've learned about how hard it is for common people to rectify themselves with mental illness. Robin Williams strikes me as the last man on earth who would battle depression, but he did.
As someone who has dealt with depression for nearly his entire life, you learn to put on masks. The fact of the matter is that most people don't want to be around someone who is outwardly depressed, and that isolation only makes the depression worse.
As someone who has dealt with depression for nearly his entire life, you learn to put on masks. The fact of the matter is that most people don't want to be around someone who is outwardly depressed, and that isolation only makes the depression worse.
A friend of mine (who suffers from depression) sent me this as a kind of "thank you" because I never rejected her when she was feeling really bad and didn't take offense when she would cancel things at the last moment because she couldn't face the world:
Just a shame she didn't feel she could pass it to her friends who did reject her. I did post it on facebook though, where many of them could see it (With her permission as long as I didn't attribute it to her in any way).
KalashnikovMarine wrote: I think you guys are looking at it the wrong way, we don't stigmatize having the disease (cancer, depression) in the United States necessarily, but we do see stigma and criticism and against how people react to that. Telling people with depression to just "get over it" and the like is terribly common (been there, heard that) and cancer patients cop a surprising amount of flak if they don't put on some bs smile or brave tragic hero figure type thing.
Moreover, cancer often leads to depression and severe anxiety because you have cancer and are facing, minimally, a series of painful treatments. Its like how people avoid you when you're sick turned up to 11.
KalashnikovMarine wrote: I think you guys are looking at it the wrong way, we don't stigmatize having the disease (cancer, depression) in the United States necessarily, but we do see stigma and criticism and against how people react to that. Telling people with depression to just "get over it" and the like is terribly common (been there, heard that) and cancer patients cop a surprising amount of flak if they don't put on some bs smile or brave tragic hero figure type thing.
Moreover, cancer often leads to depression and severe anxiety because you have cancer and are facing, minimally, a series of painful treatments. Its like how people avoid you when you're sick turned up to 11.
I think the anxiety comes more from "how will I pay for this" rather than the pain of the treatment, at least prior to the first treatment.
Just a shame she didn't feel she could pass it to her friends who did reject her. I did post it on facebook though, where many of them could see it (With her permission as long as I didn't attribute it to her in any way).
It is a shame. To me depression has always seemed harder on women due to the fact that my primary coping mechanism has always been contact sports, and women don't have anywhere near as many opportunities (or as much freedom) to engage in them.
Ensis Ferrae - depends on the country. Even in the UK where its covered by National Health you've still got the anxiety of the treatment and such. I suspect in countries where you have to pay the added costs of treatment only makes things many many times worse
It is a shame. To me depression has always seemed harder on women due to the fact that my primary coping mechanism has always been contact sports, and women don't have anywhere near as many opportunities (or as much freedom) to engage in them.
Women's Rugby Honestly, one of many reasons why rugby is, to me the absolute greatest sport in the world is that there are literally no law changes made just because the players have bewbs
I think the anxiety comes more from "how will I pay for this" rather than the pain of the treatment, at least prior to the first treatment.
It depends on the person. As a PK I have interacted with numerous cancer sufferers, and the primary fear tends to be the pain; even if that isn't expressed in front of family members.
Women's Rugby Honestly, one of many reasons why rugby is, to me the absolute greatest sport in the world is that there are literally no law changes made just because the players have bewbs
Overread wrote: Ensis Ferrae - depends on the country. Even in the UK where its covered by National Health you've still got the anxiety of the treatment and such. I suspect in countries where you have to pay the added costs of treatment only makes things many many times worse
Well, I mentioned costs because I'm currently in the health insurance business. And what "usually" happens is that, if it's a married adult, or a single adult that person is no longer working while on treatment. The government, unfortunately takes the view that you are not disabled in between treatments (but I think we've all seen in some way how much fighting cancer takes out of the person fighting it) and so will not pay disability. As a result, that person no longer has an income, and no longer has a way to pay for their medical insurance, so they therefore no longer have coverage and are now footing the whole bill. And certain forms of cancer have limited medications available, and often times the pharmaceutical companies know this, and can charge ridiculous amounts (IIRC, we saw a drug that is the ONLY drug currently in use for a particular form of Leukemia that runs $10k per month!!). Ohh, and because you're not working you're not making money for your medical bills... but you're also not making money to pay for the car, car insurance, house, food/clothing, etc... But the bank doesn't care if you have cancer and arent working to be able to pay for the house/car, they care that you haven't paid your bills in 3 months.
I mean, there's a reason why 3/4ths of all bankruptcies in America were due to medical expenses, AND over 60% of THOSE people had medical insurance.
Sorry for the rant... this whole industry kinda pisses me off (and is why I'm leaving it soon to go back to school)
Women's Rugby Honestly, one of many reasons why rugby is, to me the absolute greatest sport in the world is that there are literally no law changes made just because the players have bewbs
Good luck finding a well established team.
True. But out where I live there are definitely a bunch of well established clubs (I live up in Washington State.. the NW is ripe with rugby)
I grew up with Robin Williams' movies. I just hope this can help improve our culture's views of depression.
I can't help but imagine one of the problems with the "suicide is selfish" meme is that it piles more shame on people who already feel terrible. If you think you are a burden on everyone around you then the last thing you need is another reason to think you're bad and weak.
What I found about being diagnosed with cancer is that my reactions for the first few months were mostly calm, collected and assured. For me, the diagnosis was a relief in some ways because finally the unexplained symptoms I'd been having had an actionable cause. For my family and friends, it came out of nowhere and while I was feeling calm and arranging treatment, they were feeling devastated.
Then, months later, it started hitting me, and I started feeling awful. Meanwhile, everyone else had got over their shock and distress, and I just felt alone, not wanting to burden my friends with my petty worries over potential impending death. Sometimes I did anyway, and I think it always helped, but I always felt bad about it at the same time - being a burden, being negative, being a lead weight. There was never a word of complaint or negativity from my friends about it, but I felt that way all the same.
I think it would help if we could make talking about depression okay. Not something people are shamed about, or made to feel weak, or a burden, or selfish. Something we can gladly work on managing together.
Is anyone else getting annoyed by the media frenzy surrounding this? I noticed on TBPITU Maddox linked a screen from ABC news. Which carries a statement from his family "respectfully" asking for "privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time". Followed with the banner "Watch live: aerials of Robin Williams' home". And it's got so I can't look at facebook or twitter, as everyone in the universe seems to be compelled to post "ZOMG! I can't believe Robin Williams is dead".
I mean, there are still people dying in Iraq right? Like a humanitarian crisis right now. If only that could get the same amount of attention... Sadly it's barely half. I guess that's just not juicy enough gossip. "Oh did you hear he died" ... "Apparently it was suicide" ... "I guess he must have been crying on the inside ". It's actually kind of sickening.
I liked Robin Williams too, but I'm not going to pretend this really effects me. I'm more concerned about his family. It's very sad for them, not only to have lost someone, but to also to be at the centre of some nosy media circus probing into his and their lives. I can't believe that's what he would have wanted.
I have a family history of bipolar disorder (mother, father, sister, grandfather), and for the past 8ish years, have clearly been showing some signs, but have continuously told myself that I am different, I am immune to genetics, that I am the sane one in the family or that I have a good enough sense of humor to adequately cope. Roll 1d6 to pick an excuse to not mention said signs to a doctor or make an appointment for a screening/evaluation. Upon hearing the news of Robin Williams death, knowing his struggles with addiction and bipolar, seeing his use of a sense of humor as a coping mechanism and knowing that this happened in spite of him having a family that loves him, I made a doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. It may not affect you, but if the news impacts anyone and makes them realize that people of all sorts can have these problems and encourage them to get help, I think that is something that he, as someone who strove to make people happy, would have wanted above all else.
As to the whole, "There are other bad things going on in the world" argument, humans are complicated and able to care about more than one issue at a time. Caring about the death of a good person does not mean that one cares less about the deaths of many other good people. Are there some people commenting and posting just to be talking on the internet? Sure, where there is a bandwagon, there will be people jumping on, but just remember that simply because something is seen as less important by you personally does not necessarily make it so, as different people view different world events from different perspectives.
I wish sometimes that the news would just respect people enough to leave them alone.
"Robin Williams dead at 63 by his own hand" That is all the detail you need. Fill the rest of the story with fond remembrances and best wishes to the family.
I don't need or want all the grizzly details. I've avoided every story for just that reason.
I do not disagree there. I think it is useful to say he took his life after a lifelong battle with addiction and mental illness, promote resources for those experiencing similar problems, and talk about the positive impact he had. Those are the bits of the story that I think are impactful and helpful. Saying he did it with a belt and flying helicopters over his house is, as you said, disrespectful, but I feel there has been less of that than I would have expected (or maybe I have been intentionally avoiding that bit).
Robin Williams' daughter Zelda says she is leaving Twitter because of social media abuse after her father's death.
The 25-year-old posted that she was deleting Twitter from her devices "maybe forever".
It appears at least two people sent her "photoshopped" images claiming to show her father's body.
Robin Williams, 63, was found dead at his California home on Monday after taking his own life.
Police said the actor and comedian had been treated for depression and killed himself by hanging.
Zelda, 25, initially posted a tribute to her father on Twitter saying: "I love you. I miss you. I'll try to keep looking up."
Later, she asked for two Twitter users to be reported for abuse, before deleting her message.
She said on Tuesday she had now decided to leave the site.
British comedian Russell Kane told Newsbeat that he was "offended" by some comments made after the death of Williams.
"People's comments saying how selfish Robin Williams is for doing this, people just don't understand what depression is like," he said.
Fox News TV anchor Shepard Smith sparked criticism after suggesting the actor was a "coward" to kill himself.
Smith has now said he regrets using the word while speculating on air what Williams may have been feeling at the time, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile TalkSport has apologised after its radio presenter Alan Brazil said he had "no sympathy" for suicide.
Those people need treating exactly the same as if they had made homophobic or racist remarks. Talking about an illness and disability in that way should be treated just the same as other repugnant views.
hm, why oh why did this have to happen? i feel pretty bad for the man and his family. then again as i'm always depressed (ask anyone who's ever spent more then five minutes with me) i can kinda get it, but least i focus my depression into gaming....namely black ops 2...
THE INCREDIBLE GIFT ROBIN WILLIAMS GAVE CHRISTOPHER REEVE
Robin Williams on the day he helped out Superman, in a story from Christopher Reeve
Just the other day his name came to my lips while I was riding in a car with a friend. We were wondering how to cheer up someone who’d suffered a stroke, and I remembered a story the actor Christopher Reeve had told me after he’d been thrown off a horse and broken his neck.
Reeve was in a specially formatted wheelchair as he spoke, his words coming out choppy through a ventilator. He remembered being in a hospital bed after the accident, right before an operation was scheduled to re-connect his skull and his spine. There was something like a 50-percent chance of survival, and survival meant not being able to move beneath his neck.
At the lowest of moments the day before the surgery, the door flew open and a man dashed through wearing a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown, announcing in a Russian accent that he was a proctologist and, brandishing rubber gloves, that he needed to examine Reeve immediately.
For the first time since the accident, Reeve laughed.
The “proctologist” was his close friend—Robin Williams.
"My friendship with Robin Williams is one of the real joys of my life. Robin is a person who gives to people 24 hours a day. The gift of joy, the gift of laughter. Just to be in a room with Robin Williams is a privilege. He’s a gift to the world."
Smacks wrote: Is anyone else getting annoyed by the media frenzy surrounding this? I noticed on TBPITU Maddox linked a screen from ABC news. Which carries a statement from his family "respectfully" asking for "privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time". Followed with the banner "Watch live: aerials of Robin Williams' home". And it's got so I can't look at facebook or twitter, as everyone in the universe seems to be compelled to post "ZOMG! I can't believe Robin Williams is dead".
I mean, there are still people dying in Iraq right? Like a humanitarian crisis right now. If only that could get the same amount of attention... Sadly it's barely half. I guess that's just not juicy enough gossip. "Oh did you hear he died" ... "Apparently it was suicide" ... "I guess he must have been crying on the inside ". It's actually kind of sickening.
I liked Robin Williams too, but I'm not going to pretend this really effects me. I'm more concerned about his family. It's very sad for them, not only to have lost someone, but to also to be at the centre of some nosy media circus probing into his and their lives. I can't believe that's what he would have wanted.
So why are you pretending business as usual in the Middle East affects you?
KalashnikovMarine wrote: So why are you pretending business as usual in the Middle East affects you?
I'm not 'pretending' that it affects me. The point is: there is still time to make a difference in the Middle East and save lives. Maybe politicians would be quicker to act if there was the same scale of public (and media) interest as there has been in Robin Williams suicide, instead of people like you just writing it off as "business as usual".
I saw a video the other day; it's taken by an Austrian MEP. He is accompanying the supply of help goods for the Yazidi in the mountains. The video is in German but the images he films, on the helicopter, speak for themselves. It's them being shot at, and people trying to get on the helicopter. It's very sad.
Robin Williams was suffering from the early stages of Parkinson's disease at the time of his death, his wife has said.
Susan Schneider said her husband had been sober but "not yet ready to share publicly" his struggles with Parkinson's.
She added that he had also been suffering from anxiety and depression.
The 63-year-old actor was found dead in an apparent suicide in his home on Monday.
Police said he died of asphyxia due to hanging.
"It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid," Susan Schneider said in a statement.
Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological disorder.
It is believed that Parkinson's is brought on by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors, but the exact cause is still unknown.
Its symptoms can include tremors and other uncontrollable movements, impaired balance and co-ordination, stiffness, slowness of movement, loss of smell, a decline in intellectual functioning, and speech and swallowing problems.
It is estimated to affect about five million people worldwide and usually, but not always, occurs in old age.
Limbaugh found that the media was being too praiseworthy of Williams... too understanding, with every good intention in the world, because he's fething Robin Williams... That, they wind up giving the signal that it's really okay to kill yourself, if that's where your demons drive you.
Unfortunately this is the natural consequence of being too effusive about a suicide.
meh...
If that's the case, he still flubbed it in his opening act.
Many civilized cultures have solemnly honored suicide. I wonder if they were better off for it.
I suffered horrible depression earlier in life. The worst part is you see no end to it, and you don't believe anything can possibly help, which is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Limbaugh is an ignorant man-child who blows off for pure ratings.
Limbaugh found that the media was being too praiseworthy of Williams... too understanding, with every good intention in the world, because he's fething Robin Williams... That, they wind up giving the signal that it's really okay to kill yourself, if that's where your demons drive you.
Unfortunately this is the natural consequence of being too effusive about a suicide.
Limbaugh found that the media was being too praiseworthy of Williams... too understanding, with every good intention in the world, because he's fething Robin Williams... That, they wind up giving the signal that it's really okay to kill yourself, if that's where your demons drive you.
Unfortunately this is the natural consequence of being too effusive about a suicide.
No, I'm pretty sure he was being a witch.
Beat me to it.
There's a lot of people revealing themselves to be as such at this time.
Parkinson's is a horrible disease, I can see why that would compound your depression especially when he had apparently managed to stave off his other issues.
Limbaugh found that the media was being too praiseworthy of Williams... too understanding, with every good intention in the world, because he's fething Robin Williams... That, they wind up giving the signal that it's really okay to kill yourself, if that's where your demons drive you.
Unfortunately this is the natural consequence of being too effusive about a suicide.
No, I'm pretty sure he was being a witch.
Limbaugh was expressing his point rather poorly but that doesn't make it invalid. Take this article about the MPAA's attempt at a tribute for Williams:
The tweet, sent out Monday at 5:56 p.m., shows the genie from the 1992 “Aladdin” with the message, “Genie, you’re free,” which is a line from the film. <snip> However, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention worries about the subliminal message. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the AFSP, expressed concern about the tweet, telling the Washington Post Tuesday, “Suicide should never be presented as an option,” before adding, “(it) presents suicide in too celebratory a light.”
Now this was handled much better than Limbaugh's effort but the sentiment is the same.
Now this was handled much better than Limbaugh's effort but the sentiment is the same.
Well, no, it isn't. Limbaugh deliberately injected politics into his comments on Williams' suicide, AFSP did not. Indeed, Limbaugh's commentary had virtually nothing to do with Robin Williams or suicide at all.
Ugh... I still have a gaping hole where my feels used to be...
But hearing he had Parkinson Disease and chose to take his own life instead of choosing to suffer battling the disease, I can't really blame him, I wouldn't want anyone to have to go but that way, even though so many have and still do.
I'm not saying I'm happy he took his life, it's always tragic when someone chooses to end their life by their own hand, but in the end he was the arbiter of his own fate, he and only he made his path in life, and this was how he chose to leave our world, who are we to question his choices when all things are said and done?
I hope anyone out their reading this thinking of taking their own life just stops, stops and watches Flubber, Mrs. Doubtfire, or any of his works, and through laughter, gains the strength to keep going on in memory of the great man we all lost no more then a week ago... even though it already feels like an eternity without him...
I have a rather lengthy story to tell, that might shed some light on Robin Williams' Warhammer playing preferences. (I can personally attest to seeing two of his armies in action, in 1994. I don't know why he would say that he never played. I KNOW that he did. Besides,... it makes no sense that he bought such large army sets... and then DIDN'T play with them.)
Granted... my story is 'purely' MY opinion. But, I can honestly tell you what I saw. And, you can judge for yourself.
Anyone interested?
R_Mortisse wrote: I have a rather lengthy story to tell, that might shed some light on Robin Williams' Warhammer playing preferences. (I can personally attest to seeing two of his armies in action, in 1994. I don't know why he would say that he never played. I KNOW that he did. Besides,... it makes no sense that he bought such large army sets... and then DIDN'T play with them.)
Granted... my story is 'purely' MY opinion. But, I can honestly tell you what I saw. And, you can judge for yourself.
Anyone interested?
Thanks for the necro to tell us you might be willing to tell us something.
One of the few actors I really will miss.
(not me 
Honestly, one of many reasons why rugby is, to me the absolute greatest sport in the world is that there are literally no law changes made just because the players have bewbs 
