Robin Williams is still on my mind.

Me too. I keep watching and reading the tributes to him and it makes me so sad. He did so much for others it's hard to imagine the dark place he must have been in. I feel bad for his family too. I want to figure out how to get Dead Poets Society and Goodwill hunting so I can watch with my kids. They have not seen either.

Depression doesn't always respond to treatment; he may have been on anti-depressants, or in therapy, and still have wanted to die. We don't know.

And unlike other illnesses, the worse the disease is, the less likely the sufferer will seek help many times, since seeking help seems so pointless and so hard to do.

I don't think it had anything to do with him feeling unloved or alone.  I think he was just so tired of the struggle that he could not go on one. more. day. 

Me too. This has been a tough one.

It has really bothered me too. I have struggled with depression since I was 15. I was finally diagnosed when I was 23. Even with therapy and medication, it is hard for me. Most people don't even know that I suffer from depression. I hid it for many, many years until it started affecting my family. I was ashamed for the longest time, but now it's just a part of who I am.

I always felt I had to be "on" and upbeat for those around me and it was and is very exhausting. I wonder if Robin Williams was the same way? Was he afraid people couldn't except the person behind the jokes or without him "performing" all the time?

I saw an interview last night with a good friend of Robin Williams and comedian (Johnny Steele) from the bay area that would go biking with him at least once a month. He said his last bike ride was 10 days before his death. He observed Robin as someone who had their body taken over by something, definitely not himself -very quiet and withdrawn as well as very thin. He was so concerned he reported it to his managers and "handlers" and they too recognized there was a problem and were trying to get help. He has an interesting way of describing it....here is the link:

Johnny Steele commenting on Robin Williams

Thanks for posting that interview

Robin Williams' death has been on my mind a great deal too. I've never felt this saddened at a celebrity death before. He had given so much to others through his comedy and charity work and the idea that nothing could fill him up enough to want to stay here bothers me a great deal.

I read an article last night, and I know it is just one person's opinion, but they discussed the things that had been going on in his life the last few years. It was reported that his divorces cost him 30 million dollars. He had to start taking jobs that he didn't want, just for the money. He felt ashamed that he had to take on projects that he didn't believe in just for the paycheck. He wasn't on the short list for any major Hollywood movies any longer. He had to take supporting and bit parts just for the paycheck because his bills were piling up.

He had quietly tried to sell a large property he owns in the Napa area for the last few years. It hadn't sold and was formally listed in April. He said he didn't need that lifestyle, and I don't think having to sell it bothered him as much as it not selling. Perhaps if it did, and his debts were lowered, it would have been enough.

Then the last thing he did for television, The Crazy Ones, was cancelled. He was so happy to have that series because it meant regular income again. When it was cancelled, it hit him hard. He was extremely embarrassed and felt he was no longer marketable. He couldn't get major movies, and now even going back to television after 30 years didn't pan out. He was deeply ashamed and felt he had let everyone on the cast down.

So for a man already dealing with severe depression, a recent heart surgery, and the "last ditch" effort to gain dependable employment failing, it was all too much.

When I first heard, I thought, how could he do this to his family? After reading about his financial troubles and perceived inability to make an income, he probably felt he was an embarrassment to his family and that they would be better off without him. I'm wondering if he had a substantial death policy that he felt he was leaving to his wife to fix all the debt issues.

I never saw an episode of "The Crazy Ones" because I rarely watch television, but if I could turn the clock back, I'd watch it religiously, not only because I loved watching him in anything he did, but because if it was still on the air, the odds are that he'd still be here with us.

His death has hit me in ways I would have never imagined I think Lexica hit it on the head. I have depression,it scares me that if RW couldn't survive it, how will I? Don't get me wrong I'm in a good place. I do know that having depression is like being on a roller coaster even at the highest times you know that the lowest of low is right around he corner. May he rest in peace.

Jessica Sprague has, today, shared her personal struggle with depression. She writes in her blog very openly about it ... and frankly, it was illuminating to me.

It sounds like it was a combination of a few things that might have pushed him over the edge.  Hard to step into his shoes to really know what was behind what he did.

I just know he made me laugh, I loved a lot of his movies and he will always be a happy memory for me.  I feel so sad for his family.

I just read this on Huffington Post a statement from his wife.

"Robin spent so much of his life helping others. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the frontlines, or comforting a sick child — Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid.
Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched. His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.

Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.

It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid."

We watched every episode and were quite surprised when it was cancelled. It was a very well written funny show. I thought the cast was good too.

t.entertainment.msn.com/robin-williams-had-parkinsons-disease-wife-says

This was on MSN this morning. He wasn't ready to share with the world that he had Parkinsons. I would assume this new diagnosis led to some more demons he was battling.

I think this is beautifully written. I too am still feeling the loss. I think it's a combination of who he was (how much joy he brought others), and the cause of death. I'm very sad to know he felt there was no reason to continue living....