A lot of comedians are pretty depressed fellows, Benny Hill was the same way. When you hold a mirror up to the absurdity of life, it's always possible you will see the abyss that Nietzsche warned us about.
He was an alcoholic and abused drugs as well. When you combine those two and his depression, anything is possible.SUICIDE???? Damn...what did he have to be depressed about? I dont understand suicides. That should never be a way out. I could even understand an attempted one, but a real suicide? Robin Williams????
Robin Williams admitted he was depressed and had manic episodes (is anyone surprised? ever seen his stand-up act? mania!) - most alcoholics & drug addicts are self-medicating a mental illness. the saddest part for me is that when he started to "get better" - he killed himself.
Honestly, it's not an unusual situation - when you are depressed & have suicide ideation what stops you from killing yourself is the depression. Then you get on meds- you are finally able to do something and what do you do? kill yourself because the suicide ideation is still there. The most dangerous time for anyone who is suicidal is as you start to "feel better"...careful observation is needed at this time. but what do you do? you can't watch the depressive constantly. some programs insist the depressive remains in a 24 hr care environment for an additional 2 to 3 weeks. Others insist on intensive daily therapy.
I feel so sad for Robin Williams' loss- he was a genius at his "art" and will be sadly missed. My heart goes out to his family.
Most people don't realize how depressing drugs can be, both legal and illegal. RW admitted to being a big coke head back in the day and I suspect that as he got older he got on prescribed medication. Quite simply, that stuff will mess with your brain to the point where it throws you in a deep, dark pit of despair, especially if you are coming down from it. Just because something is labeled an "anti-depressant" that doesn't mean it can't make you depressed. It can. In fact depression and suicidal ideation are listed as side effects on anti-depressants.
Or if RW was taking illegal drugs the younger generation has a term for what he might have been going thru. It's called being in a "K hole". It's in reference to the severe depression you get when coming down from being high on Ecstasy and "Special K" and other narcotic drugs.
Legal or illegal, it wouldn't surprise me if Williams was coming down off of something and couldn't handle being that depressed and, in a moment of stupidity, took rash action. Same thing for Kurt Cobain and most successful people that have offed themselves for no reason.
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you."
I understand this quote, but I dont understand how a comedian can fall into this trap. A very famous and upcoming impersonator, Rich Little (he is 75 now) did so many awesome voices. But then his wife complained that he was doing them at home, and in bed during sex, and she forced him to get therapy under threat of divorce. He got "well", and lost his talent for impersonation. He had a TV show even. He didnt "die" literally, but his talent did. I guess some of us NEED our madness to do special things nobody else can do, huh?
Help, I am being schupted by Ronald Reagan!!!
He does perform in Las Vegas:
I think drugs do more harm than good.This applies to anti-depressant too. People should look at Music has a form of therapy. Music is more powerful than people think and quotes like thisMost people don't realize how depressing drugs can be, both legal and illegal. RW admitted to being a big coke head back in the day and I suspect that as he got older he got on prescribed medication. Quite simply, that stuff will mess with your brain to the point where it throws you in a deep, dark pit of despair, especially if you are coming down from it. Just because something is labeled an "anti-depressant" that doesn't mean it can't make you depressed. It can. In fact depression and suicidal ideation are listed as side effects on anti-depressants.
Or if RW was taking illegal drugs the younger generation has a term for what he might have been going thru. It's called being in a "K hole". It's in reference to the severe depression you get when coming down from being high on Ecstasy and "Special K" and other narcotic drugs.
Legal or illegal, it wouldn't surprise me if Williams was coming down off of something and couldn't handle being that depressed and, in a moment of stupidity, took rash action. Same thing for Kurt Cobain and most successful people that have offed themselves for no reason.
Jon Stewart is another comedian who took drugs as well. It must be a common thing unfortunately.
RIP and far too many talented people have died over the past 6 years. George Carlin, Donna Summers, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, James Avery, Marcia Wallace (Edna Krabappel) just to name a handful.
Drugs (legal and illegal) were the reason. This is why I will never trust any doctor trying to prescribe manmade drugs to me for any reason or for any ailment. When you step back and think of say...1950 (I was not alive then), how did people deal with depression? Was the suicide rate lower? YES, it was. The solution would have been (and still is) to get off the drugs no matter what method is used to get there. Everything except taking other drugs to deal with the problem (how dumb can you be?).
I think drugs do more harm than good.This applies to anti-depressant too. People should look at Music has a form of therapy. Music is more powerful than people think and quotes like this
Back in the 50's a suicide was considered a family shame and never talked about. I think the rates of suicide are probable the same as today. It's the situation people find themselves in, 1920 - 1940 had a very high rate.
I'm on 10 meds, but I was picky and told my Dr. I didn't want any of the rushed to market meds that come with tons of side affects, and no powerful painkillers.
There is moreTHIS. Music is definitely healing. Even moreso, is the sound of Nature itself. The sounds of a forest or a beach or a breezy night or rain are all sounds that every human would hear regularly. Our bodies are tuned to it for a number of reasons. But if you live in a city or an area devoid of wildlife and greenery, you will feel depression. Dont have a fancy noise generator? Fine...try Ecosounds here: http://en.ecosounds.net/ There is no registration, just go there and pick your scenario. The web page has volume controls for each sound element (except the beach one ).
Music is great therapy. But one has to be careful there too. Rap and hard rock are not soothing. Many people play music that makes them agitated or want to dance. Wrong choice!
That second video you posted with Will Smith in it was new for me. I had never seen it. Powerful! I am going to store it on my phone. But I think the point many of are trying to make is that depression is not terminal, unless you treat it with suicide. On some level, suicides make me feel disgust and not sadness. I have been depressed, so what...I get over it. If I have difficulty, then that is what friends, lovers and wives are for. I find it hard to have sympathy for those who commit suicides, even if I feel great sadness at the loss of these talented people.