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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Suicide



I couldn’t sleep last night, so my thoughts turned to the suicide of Robin Williams, as I set about analyzing why someone so successful and well liked would take his own life.  Of course, we’ll never really know the answer to that.  Depression does things to people’s minds and sometimes life probably seems unbearable any longer.

I think he worked a lot to keep himself happy by making others laugh at his silly antics.  I really think that was the only way he knew how to cope with his illness and put it on the back burner a while.  I can only speculate what torture his private life must have been.  I bet his household was in a constant state of turmoil, not a good situation for anybody.

We all have a dark side where unsavory thoughts and feelings live.  Most of us are able to push those to the side knowing another day will bring better things.  But what about the people who can’t rise out of their feelings of despair?  It’s when you let the dark side take over that you’re a danger to yourself and possibly others.

Look at the troubled times we live in today and add to that all the things that come your way in life.  There are over eighteen million Americans with depression, some of them not even treated for it.  It’s no wonder we have mass killings at schools and movie theaters.  These people come to the end of their rope and are beyond believing things will get better tomorrow, next week, or next month.

Sometimes even treatment doesn’t help as we’ve seen with Robin Williams who, I think, simply got tired of fighting his demons after years of therapy and rehab.

Some people believe that if you take your own life, you’ll face an eternity of fire and brimstone.  I’m not one of those people.  Personally, I think we make our own heaven or hell in the afterlife, but if we are judged, I think it’ll be by all the deeds, good and bad, that we’re responsible for throughout our lives, not a single irrational act.

And there’s some thought as to if you’re mentally ill, are you responsible for your actions?  I think Mr. Williams was in terrible pain behind the smiling mask he wore.  He had to be in order to make killing the demons a priority and leaving his family and friends behind.

Robin made people laugh and probably bright joy to some at the time when they were hurting the most and needed that to look on the brighter side of things.  He probably saved some lives.

We all should cherish our family and friends and take note of any unusual behavior so if anyone we know is on the brink of depression we can get them help before it becomes a disaster.  There’s so much pressure in today’s world that you never know when someone will snap.

What are your thoughts on this?  Have you ever had thoughts of suicide, or had anyone close to you take their life?

2 comments:

  1. Hello Sunni. Physiological Depression is a disease just like high blood pressure, Crohn's, diabetes or Parkinson's. It's a disease of the brain. There's an imbalance in the chemistry of the brain that makes a person severely despondent pretty much the same way Parkinson's disease makes the muscles rigid and gives you tremors. Only medication can ease the pain of depression. No amount of money or fame can cure depression. Sometimes the medications stop working sufficiently and need to be changed just like the meds for HBP. But if the medication is not changed in time it can throw the patient into a very dark, hopeless, frightening place and in a desperate attempt to end the pain a patient can sometimes end his/her life. How rich you are, how good looking or young you are, whether you're happily married, famous––it is all shrouded in darkness at the time, and doesn't make a difference. Robin Williams didn't want to end his life, he wanted to end the pain of depression.

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    1. Vashti,

      Thanks for your comments. I know several people with depression and I agree that meds need to be changed from time to time. I know Robin was in a dark place and probably thought he'd never get better. It's a shame that this happened. I also read today he was suffering from the beginning stages of Parkinsons. I have two very close friends with that disease, and like any disease, it's dibilitating. I've watched their decline over the last few years and it's heartbreaking. They are always struggling to find any new treatment. Like anyone with a disease, there is a time you become desparate for anything to make you feel better.

      Sunni

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