Robin Williams, Bipolar Sufferer, Dead at 63 Due to Suicide

Posted on August 13, 2014

Photo: flickr

When a person chooses suicide, it's hard to accept that choice.

Comedian and award-winning actor Robin Williams apparently made that choice earlier this morning. Robin Williams has long been a sufferer of bipolar disorder, a mental illness where the person fluctuates between episodes of extreme energy, focus and productivity (mania) and severe depression. Apparently, he was in one of the episodes of depression when he took his own life.

We mourn his loss.

The coroner said that Williams' death was "a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made."

According to news accounts:

"Robin Williams passed away this morning," said Mara Buxbaum, president of [Williams'] PR firm. "He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time."

His wife, Susan Schneider, issued a brief statement: "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken," she said.

Suicide is an insidious choice due to the lies that depression tells us. When a person is suffering from severe depression, as apparently Williams was, it can tell that person, "Hey, you'd be better off dead. Life isn't going to get any better."

And sadly, sometimes people listen. Even brilliant, accomplished individuals such as Robin Williams.

Williams is best known as a comedian who made his name first in stand-up, then in TV on the hit show Mork & Mindy, and later with movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society, Awakenings, and Good Will Hunting, where he won an Oscar for his role as a therapist.

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that is most-commonly treated through a combination of psychotherapy and medications. People who limit their treatment or stop taking medications may be at higher risk for the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder, such as mania or depression. Most people with bipolar disorder need lifelong treatment for the concern, as there is no cure for it.

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Category(s):Bipolar, Depression, Mood Swings / Bipolar

Source material from Psych Central