Via wikipedia.org

Robin Williams has passed away, shocking many fans. At 63 years of age he left us on August 11, 2014. A career spanning multiple decades has now ended, but it will not leave our memories.

Williams reached fans of all ages. Whether you remember him as Mork the alien, from “Mork & Mindy” (1978-1982), or as a desperate and loving Dad in “Mrs. Doubtfire” his talent has touched your life.

Multiple news sources report that Williams was suffering from depression, and that this may be another tragic suicide. No confirmation as of present though.

Williams is remembered as a funny man for his audience. He had serious roles of course. His acting range was worthy of an applause. “Dead Poets Society” and “Good Will Hunting” are on the other side of the spectrum when compared to “Jumanji” or “Flubber”. Williams was not boxed in by any one genre.  

Deaths like this eat away at our hearts. For my 90’s kid’s generation Williams was one of our favorite family film actors, in movies like “Jack” and “Hook”. The laughs he gave us make it hard to remember that even funny people cry.

Depression is not a joke, and deaths like this make us remember that. While it is not officially a suicide, his depression was real.

Please don’t let his death fade away too soon. I’m not asking anyone to be sad beyond the point of normal mourning though. I’m asking my readers to get help if they need it. I’m also asking my readers to remember that depression is an everyday battle for some people.

NBC Connecticut reported that Williams had gone to rehab in July 2014. He had been open about sobriety issues before, but this was a shock. As much as we don’t want to admit it, some people lose while fighting. Sometimes the battle is constantly uphill, pushing the victim down a steep slope.

I don’t suffer from depression. I’ve been sad before, but full blown depression is something different. I don’t know what kind of torture that is on the mind. Something that as far as I know, can’t be cured, only managed.

Depression is a horrible disorder, but you can’t run from it. Pretending it’s not there doesn’t fix the problem. Getting help is nothing to be ashamed of. You’re strong if you do. It’s hard for us as human beings to admit it when we need help. The strong ones can accept when something is wrong. They are true warriors.   

If you know someone with depression be there to support them. Don’t be their doctor or therapist. They need to seek out professional help for that, but let them know you care. Let them know that they are still normal. They just have an issue at hand.

 – Katelyn Avery

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