I so remember watching Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy when I was a kid. Did I just date myself? I also watched many of his movies and found that he had such a wide talent of acting, from the seriousness of Dead Poets Society to the zaniness of Mrs. Doubtfire. He was so talented! But to the younger generation, he will always be the Genie in the animated Disney’s Aladdin.
I was saddened to hear of his passing yesterday and even more sad to hear how he died. The fact that he took his own life… Obviously, people of all sorts have dark times, but they are defined by how they deal with those times. It is because of this that I took the opportunity to discuss Robin Williams death with my teenage daughter. Here is a synopsis of what I shared with her.
- Personal wealth and fame can’t solve everything. In this age, it seems as if having a lot of money and fame would make your life better. If that were so, we would still have Robin Williams. Obviously, I don’t know his specific financial situation, but one would presume that he would have had access to the best treatment available; however, this did not keep him from suicide.
- Alcohol and drugs are not an answer. There are so many people who use drugs to “escape” from reality and to seemingly make themselves feel better. Alcohol and drugs only make the dark darker in the long run. Many people who go through treatment may “recover” for a while but eventually go back to that way of life again. Don’t fall into the alcohol and drug trap to start with.
- If you feel as if life is not worth living, you need to talk with someone. You may want to talk with your parents, a pastor, or a medical provider. If you don’t have anyone to talk with, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Life is never bad enough to kill yourself! There is always hope!
Now, I know this is a more serious subject than I normally approach here, but I hope it will encourage someone to look for help. Also if your children are old enough to process this information, let them know you are there for them if they find themselves in need of discussing problems. Keep the communication open!
To lighten the mood a little, I’m going to link up a really cool YouTube video of a much younger Robin Williams with Walter Cronkite.
Getting help is so important yet so difficult when the mind is so overwhelmingly depressed. Looking for signs in your loved ones is equally important.
Such a tragic and sad loss. I hope it serves a greater good and helps people get the help they need.
I will miss his contagious smile and sense of humor.
What a tragic loss for us all .. It still hits me every time I see a photo… Those all great topics to discuss with your daughter.. Having someone close to me who battles depression I know that we can never pretend to understand the depth of someone’s sorrow. Depression is a disease that has a way of wrapping itself around you and throwing you into a completely different reality.. And the saddest thing is that when someone is in a depressed state, he or she is typically unable to reach out for help and loved ones are not necessarily aware of the depth of the depression. My 17 year old had a lot of questions and I’ve tried my best to answer them but what we’ve also done is focus on the joy that Robin Williams brought to us… and to hold his wife and children up in prayer. I can even begin to imagine their grief.
I still can’t believe this is real 🙁
It’s so sad! He was such an amazing man!
It was such a shock for everyone to learn about his death yesterday. It was well publicized the issues he dealt with over the years, but I don’t think anyone expected this. I would imagine that that’s the case with most suicides. I’m hoping that others will seek help after learning about this and the hotline that’s available.
Such a sad tragedy 🙁 Yes, everyone who is depressed, please get help!!!
Robin Williams has always been one of my favorite actors. This is such tragic news.
I’ve thought about your #1 comment too. He had the best treatment money could buy. It just makes me so sad.
It was most definitely a tragic loss —
Williams was one of my favorites. I grew up watching him on Mork and Mindy, and I can remember rocking cranky, colicky babies back to sleep while watching his movies on either video tape, or eventually DVDs. I’d sit there and laugh and hope and pray I didn’t wake the newly sleeping kiddo!
His death hits home for me, and was extremely triggering. I’ve lived with serious depression for a very long time and can empathize with the seemingly endless dark days that you feel will never end. Despite knowing he was a recovering addict who still struggled with depression, I’m still in shock that he’s actually gone. It’s such a huge void and so incredibly sad that such a bright light has been shut off.
I think it’s great that you’re having these discussions with your daughter and applaud how you keep the lines of communication with her, open. I wish more parents . . . No, I wish more people in general, would do that.
he was such an amazing man
He was loved by the world and will be missed.
This death was such a tragedy. It’s nice to see you turned it into something good, using it as an opportunity to talk to your daughter about such an important matter.
Very well said. Just because you have millions if you battling depression you are on the same playing field as the average person. Reaching out is always the key to keep from loosing that last grip on life.
I remember reading awhile ago about him having bipolar, but this seems so unreal. He was such a talented actor. He also seemed to be a down-to-earth guy, as well.