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Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 dogma wrote:
 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.
   
Made in us
Dwarf High King with New Book of Grudges




United States

 Steve steveson wrote:

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.

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

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

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Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 dogma wrote:

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
   
Made in us
Dwarf High King with New Book of Grudges




United States

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

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.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

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.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2014/08/13 16:22:21


Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 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)


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 dogma wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

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)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/08/13 16:22:33


 
   
Made in gb
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Here's a nice video from a couple of years ago.

   
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USA

I totally forgot that Williams named his daughter after Princess Zelda @_@

   
Made in au
Tough Tyrant Guard







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.
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





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.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/08/13 18:28:58


 
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User




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.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/08/13 19:25:28


 
   
Made in us
Nigel Stillman





Seattle WA

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 wish a restful peace for you Robin Williams.


See more on Know Your Meme 
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User




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).
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut






Los Angeles

In the vein of disrespectful outcomes to this story, social media users do not fail to disappoint and amaze:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/28773734


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.


In a word: disgusting.
   
Made in gb
Contagious Dreadnought of Nurgle





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.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/08/13 20:52:27


 insaniak wrote:
Sometimes, Exterminatus is the only option.
And sometimes, it's just a case of too much scotch combined with too many buttons...
 
   
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Hangin' with Gork & Mork






 LordofHats wrote:
I totally forgot that Williams named his daughter after Princess Zelda @_@


Well did you also know he went to Julliard and that his roommate there was Superman (Christopher Reeve)?

Spoiler:

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
 
   
Made in us
Willing Inquisitorial Excruciator





Imperial Embassy

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...

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 Ahtman wrote:
 LordofHats wrote:
I totally forgot that Williams named his daughter after Princess Zelda @_@


Well did you also know he went to Julliard and that his roommate there was Superman (Christopher Reeve)?

Spoiler:


http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/robin-williams-christopher-reeve

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."

—CHRISTOPHER REEVE

   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut






Leerstetten, Germany


   
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Hallowed Canoness





The Void

 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?


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Lemme at least leave a good hoof beat they'll remember loud and long


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 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.

You can see for yourself: (you might want to skip 4~5 mins in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXK7I-6OvU

Please watch it, and see if you still think it isn't worth caring about.
   
Made in us
Hangin' with Gork & Mork






If only our options were better than to recognize a beloved figures passing or solve the problems of the Middle East.

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
 
   
Made in au
[MOD]
Not as Good as a Minion






Brisbane

We already have a thread for the middle east, please don't spread it around multiple threads.

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Et In Arcadia Ego





Canterbury

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28796277



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.




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South Wales

Rush Limbaugh Says Robin Williams Killed Himself Because Leftists Are 'Never Happy'


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/12/rush-limbaugh-robin-williams-killed-himself-due-le/

What.

Prestor Jon wrote:
Because children don't have any legal rights until they're adults. A minor is the responsiblity of the parent and has no legal rights except through his/her legal guardian or parent.
 
   
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Los Angeles

 MrDwhitey wrote:
Rush Limbaugh Says Robin Williams Killed Himself Because Leftists Are 'Never Happy'


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/12/rush-limbaugh-robin-williams-killed-himself-due-le/

What.


Well ignorance is bliss. Stands to reason Rush and his followers would be the happiest people around.
   
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Leerstetten, Germany

Don't even give that windbag the time of day...


This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/08/14 21:13:14


 
   
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 MrDwhitey wrote:
Rush Limbaugh Says Robin Williams Killed Himself Because Leftists Are 'Never Happy'


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/12/rush-limbaugh-robin-williams-killed-himself-due-le/

What.

He claims he was misunderstood...
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/08/13/despicable_leftists_lie_about_my_comments_on_the_media_coverage_of_the_robin_williams_suicide

eh...

Here's what I think is going on...

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.

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Made in us
Thane of Dol Guldur




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.
   
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Longtime Dakkanaut






Toronto

He apparently suffocated himself. Sad, he was such a good actor. His comedies were so funny.

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