photo by Eva Rinaldi, courtesy of Wikipedia
I can’t stop reading the headlines. Robin Williams is gone. It’s like losing a beloved uncle. I grew up with him, from Mork and Mindy to Aladdin to Good Will Hunting and beyond. It just blows my mind and hurts my heart.
But the thing that gets me is that every headline says the same thing. “Robin Williams Dies from Apparent Suicide.” “Williams Commits Suicide.” Etc. Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? Suicide didn’t kill Robin Williams, Robin Williams didn’t kill Robin Williams, depression killed Robin Williams.
Mental illness does not get the credit it deserves and it is killing us.
I have written before about my Generalized Anxiety Disorder and how hard it was to seek help. At the time, the nurse at the Urgent Care (where I was because I thought I was having a heart attack or at the very least an asthma attack- because panic attacks can’t cause such violent physical reactions, right?) said to me, “if you had diabetes, you would go to the doctor and seek treatment without any hesitation. Why won’t you do the same for this?” The answer is: because if you can’t see it on an x-ray, it’s not real. Well apparently somebody forgot to tell our brains that it isn’t real!
The numbers are sketchy on this topic because it does not take into account that mental illness could be the cause of other diseases (such as heart disease, alcoholism, and drug addiction), but we do know that suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, the third leading cause in young people, and more than 90% of people who commit suicide have at least one mental disorder. So at the very least mental illness is killing more Americans than guns, murder, HIV/ AIDS, and liver and kidney diseases.
Upon learning of his death, I referred to Robin Williams as a bright light in so many of our lives. I saw similar ideas from many. “The world is a little darker now.” It is true, but my hope is this shocking news can help illuminate these diseases. May his bright light shine on, not only in his comedic legacy but also in what we may learn from his tragic death and the disease that killed him.
If you are struggling with depression or any other mental illness, know that you are not alone. These diseases are very real. Please talk to anyone who will listen about it and do not be ashamed. Find a doctor who will help you. If you are considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
