Because of Robin Williams, I say the following: Depression is a matter of brain chemistry, not willpower; nor is it weakness of character. It is a disease. There are actual physical causes, as with any disease. Its also relapsing remitting, which means sometimes you are in remission and feel fine and go about your life feeling happy and positive; at other times, when you relapse, youre right back in the bottom of a very deep, very black, and very dangerous hole. And sometimes all you want to do is make that hole go away, make the pain go away. Some say the person who commits suicide is selfish. No. Its because they cannot find any way out of the hole. They love their children, their spouses, their partners. They may have wealth and fame. They may appear to have everything, so why on earth would they kill themselves? Why does a healthy person who has everything to live for do such a thing? Depression, at its worst, it is all-consuming. There is nothing left over. Nothing. It eats you alive. And sometimes, it kills. Everyone feels depressed now and then. A bad day, a bad month. Serious depression is unceasing. Severe depression is sheer hell. Treatment, through meds and counseling, help many, many people. I have no doubt it helped Robin Williams at other times. The problem is, there is no quick fix. Its not switching on a light bulb. It takes time. And sometimes, if youre really far gone, you cant give yourself 2-3 weeks to start feeling a little better. Sometimes, you cant even give yourself a day. If youre way down deep, deeper than ever before, in that terrible black hole, you may not even be able to give yourself an hour. Depression doesnt care who you are or what you do, whether youre rich or poor, famous or unknown, attractive or plain. Depression doesnt give a damn. If you have family or friends suffering from depression, be there for them. It isnt always easy and youll be tempted to give up, to say its hard to care about someone when they cant care about themselves, or dont appear to want to be helped. When you are that far gone, and that isolated, its hard, if not impossible, to ask for help; ironically, sometimes its even more difficult to accept it. Understand that it is a disease, and it cant be willed away any more than cancer. I cried for Robin Williams because he is such a loss to so many. I cry, too, because I know how terrible is that beast, and how desperate he was to escape it. You are free, Robin. But the world truly is a lesser place for your absence.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 07:10:07 +0000
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