A Call to Big Hairy Arms

            He was Mork from Ork; he was Mrs. Doubtfire; he was Peter Pan; he was Aladdin’s Genie. 

He was Robin Williams

and he was severely depressed.

While not everyone that is depressed is depressed to the point of taking their own life, as is the unfortunate case with Williams, it should be noted that he lived sixty-three years before succumbing to his demons.  Depression doesn’t always kill and if it does it doesn’t always do it quickly.  Depression is a struggle and a struggle that you don’t have to go through alone.  Seriously.  Do you know how many people suffer from various degrees of depression?  A lot, I promise.  Depression can be managed.  It’s not a death sentence, it’s not something that has to destroy your life or the lives of those around you.  Help is available.

Obviously, if you get to the point where you feel suicidal, where things are so bad that you have a plan to kill yourself, you should call 911, but you don’t have to wait that long.  It doesn’t have to be bleak before you get help.  As much as I personally hate drugs used to modify behavior, they can help for depression in many cases.  However, as with most things medicinal, you can eventually build up a tolerance to the point where the drugs alone will no longer work on the recommended dosage.  Psychiatrists are also adept at identifying roots of depression and helping those with depression work through those issues, and the best course of action is a combination of the two.  Seriously, if you have depression, you need to talk to someone about it.  No, not the old lady running around Walmart in her sports bra, she has her own issues to deal with.  Real, tangible, professional psychiatric help will get you on the road to management of your depression.

Depression is a lifelong struggle.  It’s something that you will have to deal with one day at a time for the rest of your life.  It’s a daunting undertaking, one that many people don’t want to do.  However, the fact that you don’t have to do it alone is something you can take solace in.  Robin Williams dealt with depression for years, sometimes self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, sometimes not medicating at all.  He was a tortured genius that died well before his time and we should all learn from his death instead of just quote famous lines from his movies.

What happened to Robin Williams is tragic.  It’s tragic for him and it’s tragic for his friends and family.  But it doesn’t have to be the same for everyone.  Depression does not have to end in death and it does not have to involve a shitty existence while you’re alive.  There are people to talk to, a phone call away.  1-800-273-8255 is the national suicide prevention helpline.  You may not think you need it, but before you really do, just call.  All of my contact info is on the right hand side as well.  I am not a licensed psychologist (and my psychology degrees came from online, for-profit universities, so take that for what it is) but I am always happy and available to help, even if it is just an ear to bend.  No lie, drop me a line and I’ll talk to you, I’ll help if I can help, and if I can’t help I will direct you to someone that can.  Let’s not let depression claim another victim.  Let Robin Williams’ sacrifice be the wake-up call for those that need help to get help.   

You are not alone.