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Robin Williams dead at 63

sad, he was bi-polar I can only suspect that led to his suicide.
 
Condolences to his family, friends, and fans

I saw him once work a run. Not traditional standup, but actually go out into an audience and do 45 minutes just what people said and did. No one worked a cold room into a hot one like Robin Williams.
 
I got to meet him once while he was on a USO Tour. He was the Bob Hope of Iraq and Afghanistan. Very sad.

SLD
 
It is so sad. I love his work.
And in all interviews he has so much energy that I wondered how he can go on like that
Is this how bi-polar looks like? Too much energy and then no energy at all?
 
barbos said:
It is so sad. I love his work.
And in all interviews he has so much energy that I wondered how he can go on like that
Is this how bi-polar looks like? Too much energy and then no energy at all?
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe so. And for some people the loss of the energetic half is what makes them not take the medicines that can even it out. It's hard to understand what depression can be like for many of us, I think. One illuminating blog comes from another wonderful comdian, Allie Brosh, who writes "Hyperbole and a Half". It's hysterical. But one day she posted something serious - about her depression. It's vivid and eye-opening.

Part One

Part Two

It was a real treasure for her to share that, because so many people don't have the language to help when they don't really get what's going on.
 
I don't think Robin Williams was bipolar, and he said he was never been diagnosed as such. He definitely and admittedly suffered from life-long depression.

His "manic" performances were at will, he controlled them, turned them on and off for the shows and movies. That does not seem to describe the way a genuine bipolar manic episode would happen. I do remember reading years ago, though, that sometimes his performances took so much out of him that he was practically catatonic afterwards.

The part that hurts my heart for him and his family so much is seeing the huge huge outpouring of grief and love for him everywhere, yet knowing that in his depression he didn't know it.
 
RavenSky said:
The part that hurts my heart for him and his family so much is seeing the huge huge outpouring of grief and love for him everywhere, yet knowing that in his depression he didn't know it.
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Yes. Or that even if he knew it, it wouldn't feel comforting.
 
Really too bad. He was a great performer, even when he did get 'Disneyfied' at times, he still came through.

I have a cassette (! just shows how old it is) recording of him telling the story of Pecos Bill with Ry Cooder on guitar. Maybe I should see if it's available on UTube.
 
I think I saw him recently on some late show. He was usual himself. I find it hard to believe that he was actually depressed and it was all self forced show. He was a great actor and he had a great voice too. I like actors with intense and unusual accents/voices.
 
Rhea said:
RavenSky said:
The part that hurts my heart for him and his family so much is seeing the huge huge outpouring of grief and love for him everywhere, yet knowing that in his depression he didn't know it.
Click to expand...

Yes. Or that even if he knew it, it wouldn't feel comforting.
Click to expand...

Yea. Love and support doesn't always matter when you're depressed. Sometimes you're so out of balance that nothing can help you but getting your body back into balance.

I think a lot of people who talk about depression, while well meaning, don't understand it all that well. Back around 2008 I had an incredibly severe depression and was nearly suicidal, and I can tell you that nothing other than physical recovery could have fixed it.
 
rousseau said:
Rhea said:
Yes. Or that even if he knew it, it wouldn't feel comforting.
Click to expand...

Yea. Love and support doesn't always matter when you're depressed. Sometimes you're so out of balance that nothing can help you but getting your body back into balance.

I think a lot of people who talk about depression, while well meaning, don't understand it all that well. Back around 2008 I had an incredibly severe depression and was nearly suicidal, and I can tell you that nothing other than physical recovery could have fixed it.
Click to expand...
I'm having a hard time reading comment like "he took the cowards way out". It's so frustrating how un-informed people can be and make such harsh judgements. I wish wish depression didn't have such a 'stigma'. Maybe my Mom would have gotten help. :(
 
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