I think whoever decided to call the disease "depression" did a poor job naming it. It's much more than just feeling depressed or blue. We all feel that from time to time but we don't all suffer from depression. And sometimes people who have the disease don't feel blue. Adolescent boys, for example, often feel intense anger, rather than an emotional low. It's a complicated illness. It can be very difficult to successfully treat it.
Robin was not just dealing with depression, he was bi-polar. Here's some information on that if you do not know what that is:
WASHINGTON, August 14, 2014 — The tragic and untimely death of comedian Robin Williams has brought bipolar disorder and depression out in the open.
According to The National Alliance on Mental Health, approximately 2.6 percent of American adults live with bipolar disorder, about 6.1 million people.
With numbers like this, it is hard to understand why people who live their lives with this illness try so desperately to keep it a secret.
Misinformation about mental illness often leads to fear and stigma, but as we see with the loss of a beloved celebrity, it is something that needs to come out of the shadows.
What exactly is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is also sometimes called “manic-depressive illness” or disease. It is a brain disorder that causes a person to have an unusual range in emotions, moods and energy levels.
The emotional swings of someone who is bipolar are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through in life. These changes can be severe and lead to difficulties in work, school and relationships and can even lead to suicide.
Bipolar disorders are often not easy to identify and people often suffer in silence for years before receiving any treatment.
The disorder often begins in a person’s late teen years or early adulthood; at least half of all reported cases begin before age 25, although there are reported onset cases in young children and older adults.
What are the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder?
People who are bipolar will experience noticeable extreme mood episodes. These episodes are notably different from the person’s usual state of mind.
These episodes are classified as manic and depressive.
During a manic episode a person will have some of these symptoms:
•Experience an unusually long period of feeling happy and on a “high”
•Talking very fast and have racing thoughts
•Be extremely restless
•Start multiple new tasks
•Have an unrealistic belief in ones abilities
•Participate in high risk behaviors
•Have difficulty sleeping
•Be extremely irritable
During a depressive episode a person may:
•Remain overly sad for a long period of time
•Lose interest in activities that they once enjoyed
•Will feel overly tired and “slowed down”
•Become indecisive
•Be unable to focus or concentrate
•Think of death or suicide
A bipolar person will usually experience distinctive manic and depressive episodes for certain separate periods of time. The separate mood episodes can last anywhere for a few hours to months.
People who have bipolar disorder will often not believe that their behavior is unusual, but family and friends will notice the changes. This is particularly true when someone has bipolar II, where the manic states are less extreme.
Although most manic and depressive episodes occur separately, some people will have them at the same time in what is called, a mixed state.
During a mixed state, a person would feel agitated and full of energy at the same time that they are having sad and often suicidal thoughts.
Substance abuse is often seen in people with bipolar disorder. It is believed this is in part an attempt to control mood by self medicating. Drugs and alcohol can make a person feel more normal. Excessive drinking or drug use would also be associated with behaviors that are brought on in a manic state
Thanks for posting that Newlife. And thanks for helping me get closer to the facts as they really are and helping me learn the truth about Bipolar Disorder, and depression. Thanks to you all here at GSC.
When she discussed the Parkinson's Disease, I believe his wife also said his sobriety was intact.
Personally - - I wish that so much of this was not released via the press to the general public. The family and closest friends have asked for privacy but it seems the Press thinks they're giving privacy when they don't interview the family! All these interviews playing so often over the airwaves must be tearing those family and friends to shreds. I know that this is a free country.....but I also know that my liberties end where yours begin.....at least that's what I was taught in civics class.
I'm very glad that folks are becoming more aware mental illnesses and what some of them entail. But I wish these discussions were separated out in the "distance" of time.
When she discussed the Parkinson's Disease, I believe his wife also said his sobriety was intact.
Personally - - I wish that so much of this was not released via the press to the general public. The family and closest friends have asked for privacy but it seems the Press thinks they're giving privacy when they don't interview the family! All these interviews playing so often over the airwaves must be tearing those family and friends to shreds. I know that this is a free country.....but I also know that my liberties end where yours begin.....at least that's what I was taught in civics class.
I'm very glad that folks are becoming more aware mental illnesses and what some of them entail. But I wish these discussions were separated out in the "distance" of time.
You made several good and important points. Sobriety intact. That's good to know. Hearing about PD may cause some to grasp that Robin was facing a stressful time in his life and knew his future would be difficult. but suicide is not a rational decision people make (almost always, I figure). For someone so gregarious and seemingly open, so much of him was quiet and withdrawn. He had to have impressive skills at keeping his pain hidden. I'm not so sure that was a good thing.
I, too, appreciate the info newlife posted.
The news stunned me as it did millions of people all over the world. He touched hundreds of millions of people with the healing balm of laughter. Besides that, he was such a warm and kind man. All humanity lost a part if its heart when Robin died. And it was and is a tremendous loss for American culture.
You made several good and important points. Sobriety intact. That's good to know. Hearing about PD may cause some to grasp that Robin was facing a stressful time in his life and knew his future would be difficult. but suicide is not a rational decision people make (almost always, I figure). For someone so gregarious and seemingly open, so much of him was quiet and withdrawn. He had to have impressive skills at keeping his pain hidden. I'm not so sure that was a good thing.
I, too, appreciate the info newlife posted.
The news stunned me as it did millions of people all over the world. He touched hundreds of millions of people with the healing balm of laughter. Besides that, he was such a warm and kind man. All humanity lost a part if its heart when Robin died. And it was and is a tremendous loss for American culture.
I also feel for his family. For them, this tragic, trying time is no doubt more stressful because of the media attention. But because he touched so many lives, "we" needed to know how this all could have happened.
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GrouchoMarxJr
He suffered from depression which is a disease...and today his wife announced that he also had Parkinson disease...which was not known until today
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Human without the bean
Wow. That's a tough disease. My grandmother had PD.
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waysider
I think whoever decided to call the disease "depression" did a poor job naming it. It's much more than just feeling depressed or blue. We all feel that from time to time but we don't all suffer from depression. And sometimes people who have the disease don't feel blue. Adolescent boys, for example, often feel intense anger, rather than an emotional low. It's a complicated illness. It can be very difficult to successfully treat it.
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Human without the bean
So does anyone know, was RW in rehab for drugs and alcohol or was it depression?
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newlife
Robin was not just dealing with depression, he was bi-polar. Here's some information on that if you do not know what that is:
WASHINGTON, August 14, 2014 — The tragic and untimely death of comedian Robin Williams has brought bipolar disorder and depression out in the open.
According to The National Alliance on Mental Health, approximately 2.6 percent of American adults live with bipolar disorder, about 6.1 million people.
With numbers like this, it is hard to understand why people who live their lives with this illness try so desperately to keep it a secret.
Misinformation about mental illness often leads to fear and stigma, but as we see with the loss of a beloved celebrity, it is something that needs to come out of the shadows.
What exactly is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is also sometimes called “manic-depressive illness” or disease. It is a brain disorder that causes a person to have an unusual range in emotions, moods and energy levels.
The emotional swings of someone who is bipolar are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through in life. These changes can be severe and lead to difficulties in work, school and relationships and can even lead to suicide.
Bipolar disorders are often not easy to identify and people often suffer in silence for years before receiving any treatment.
The disorder often begins in a person’s late teen years or early adulthood; at least half of all reported cases begin before age 25, although there are reported onset cases in young children and older adults.
What are the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder?
People who are bipolar will experience noticeable extreme mood episodes. These episodes are notably different from the person’s usual state of mind.
These episodes are classified as manic and depressive.
During a manic episode a person will have some of these symptoms:
•Experience an unusually long period of feeling happy and on a “high”
•Talking very fast and have racing thoughts
•Be extremely restless
•Start multiple new tasks
•Have an unrealistic belief in ones abilities
•Participate in high risk behaviors
•Have difficulty sleeping
•Be extremely irritable
During a depressive episode a person may:
•Remain overly sad for a long period of time
•Lose interest in activities that they once enjoyed
•Will feel overly tired and “slowed down”
•Become indecisive
•Be unable to focus or concentrate
•Think of death or suicide
A bipolar person will usually experience distinctive manic and depressive episodes for certain separate periods of time. The separate mood episodes can last anywhere for a few hours to months.
People who have bipolar disorder will often not believe that their behavior is unusual, but family and friends will notice the changes. This is particularly true when someone has bipolar II, where the manic states are less extreme.
Although most manic and depressive episodes occur separately, some people will have them at the same time in what is called, a mixed state.
During a mixed state, a person would feel agitated and full of energy at the same time that they are having sad and often suicidal thoughts.
Substance abuse is often seen in people with bipolar disorder. It is believed this is in part an attempt to control mood by self medicating. Drugs and alcohol can make a person feel more normal. Excessive drinking or drug use would also be associated with behaviors that are brought on in a manic state
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Human without the bean
Thanks for posting that Newlife. And thanks for helping me get closer to the facts as they really are and helping me learn the truth about Bipolar Disorder, and depression. Thanks to you all here at GSC.
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krys
When she discussed the Parkinson's Disease, I believe his wife also said his sobriety was intact.
Personally - - I wish that so much of this was not released via the press to the general public. The family and closest friends have asked for privacy but it seems the Press thinks they're giving privacy when they don't interview the family! All these interviews playing so often over the airwaves must be tearing those family and friends to shreds. I know that this is a free country.....but I also know that my liberties end where yours begin.....at least that's what I was taught in civics class.
I'm very glad that folks are becoming more aware mental illnesses and what some of them entail. But I wish these discussions were separated out in the "distance" of time.
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Rocky
You made several good and important points. Sobriety intact. That's good to know. Hearing about PD may cause some to grasp that Robin was facing a stressful time in his life and knew his future would be difficult. but suicide is not a rational decision people make (almost always, I figure). For someone so gregarious and seemingly open, so much of him was quiet and withdrawn. He had to have impressive skills at keeping his pain hidden. I'm not so sure that was a good thing.
I, too, appreciate the info newlife posted.
The news stunned me as it did millions of people all over the world. He touched hundreds of millions of people with the healing balm of laughter. Besides that, he was such a warm and kind man. All humanity lost a part if its heart when Robin died. And it was and is a tremendous loss for American culture.
I also feel for his family. For them, this tragic, trying time is no doubt more stressful because of the media attention. But because he touched so many lives, "we" needed to know how this all could have happened.
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