What We Can Learn From the Tragedy of Robin Williams

Hey Everyone! I know it has been quite a long time since I last posted. With my upcoming move just a week away, I have been a bit preoccupied to say the least. I have also been experiencing I believe to be a bit of spiritual darkness in my life these past couple weeks. I feel I am in for a deeper conversion in the near future. But I will go into detail about that in a later post. With the wake of the suicide of Robin Williams, I felt this was a perfect time to write about what we can take from such heartbreaking news, especially when it comes to the mental health world. 

I don’t know one person who did not love and adore Robin Williams. Not only was he hilarious and a very talented actor, but it seems that he was a very sweet and down to earth guy. Very different than what we normally see in a lot of Hollywood stars today. But behind that seemingly joyful human being was somebody who was suffering immensely. Out in the public eye, he radiated a light and joy, and made others laugh, but behind closed doors, Robin was extremely ill. 

Sure, on the outside, he physically looked fine. But that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t just as sick as someone who has cancer, cystic fibrosis, or any other kind of chronic illnesses. That is a large misconception that comes with depression or any other type of mental illness. Because we don’t see physical signs of illness, we tend to brush it off and blame it on the person themselves. How many times have we heard of someone we knew who was struggling, and instead of being concerned, praying for them, or helping them seek treatment, we told them they need to just get over it, or get our feelings hurt because they stopped coming around? Regardless of the conceptions people have about mental illnesses, it isn’t something you can just snap out of when you feel like it. There is something actually biologically wrong with your brain. And without the proper treatment and support, just like any other illness, it will progress and has the potential to eventually kill you. Sure, Robin committed suicide, but ultimately it was the disease that killed him. 

So what can we learn from this? We need to realize that there is still a large stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. Look at the picture above. That, right there, is proof that we treat people who are mentally ill different than we treat those who are physically sick. Mental illness knows no bounds. It affects all races, both genders, rich and poor, and every intellectual level. But yet, society assumes that if someone suffers from a mental illness, they must be a freak, they must be unintelligent, they can’t be a productive member of society. We see people like Andrea Yates, or Adam Lanza, who were seriously sick and were people who did horrific things, and assume that every person who has something wrong with them will be dangerous. Yes, they were dangerous, but that is largely due to the fact that them and their families let the illness manifest itself into something much worse. So if they were sick, why didn’t anyone do anything to help them more? Its the stigma. Parents will be embarrassed if a child is schizophrenic because people will judge them, the patient themselves will feel like they are useless and helpless because that is what society has accepted. 

Think about the body in general; If you had to pick one organ that is the most important, you would probably most likely pick either the brain or the heart. So while we say it is of great significance, why do we take it for granted? Why when it isn’t functioning properly, we don’t seek treatment, just like when we have a physical ailment? Why are we so quick to make sure we are in amazing physical shape, but neglect our mental health?

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. This is the prime age when mental illnesses are most likely to come up. But with this age, also comes immense pressure from friends, professors, and family to have it all together. So if someone does become depressed, or starts to have hallucinations, they are more likely to try to cover it up and pretend they are okay. They don’t want others to know that they are having difficulties, because more than likely it would be assumed there was something wrong with his work ethic, intelligence, coping skills, etc. So, more often than not, young adults will not only not seek proper care, but they won’t even tell the people they are close to. They learn ways to hide it around others. And the longer it goes untreated, the worse it becomes. Once again, this stigma causes people to not want to seek help.

We need to get rid of the mindset that the act of suicide is selfish. While yes, a family is left to a wound that might never heal, and they will wonder what they did wrong, the person committing suicide isn’t doing this to hurt them. Depression, among others, can be a very selfish disease. The person will be so wallowed up in their own suffering and pain that they cannot even fathom to look past it. A lot of times, they start pushing the ones closest to them away too. The person themselves isn’t selfish, it is just a symptom that comes with the disease. If they were able to be in a different mindset, it is likely that they wouldn’t even consider such an act. 

We also need to not condemn people who commit suicide to Hell. Yes, this act does go completely against the respect for life, oneself, and even neighbor. However, the Catechism of the Catholic church specifically states: “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.” The church can recognize that a person who is dealing with severe mental disturbances cannot have full responsibility in the act because they are not in the right mindset to even decide so. It also goes on to say, “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.” We should continue to pray for the souls of people like Robin Williams. The beautiful thing is that we have a loving father who knows your heart and can give you forgiveness. Suicide is not a selfish act, nor a one way ticket to Hell. 

 While just like the rest of you, I am deeply saddened by the loss of an amazing actor, there is still something that we can learn and take away from this. It doesn’t matter if you are as famous as Robin Williams, or are just an average 9 to 5 working man; mental illness can affect anyone. And suicides, self-harm, and other acts of suffering will continue to take place as much as they do if we don’t do something about it. And at the top of that list is to get rid of the misconceptions. We need to show just as much support for these people as we do for those who have cancer. Something I heard on Dr.Drew last night was this: When it comes to war veterans, we are always quick to rush to the side of an amputee. But when there is another who experienced just as much trauma, has PTSD, but is all together on the outside, he tends to be brushed to the side. Suffering isn’t explicitly just for the outside of the body.

Lord, please watch over all those who are right in this moment suffering from mental disorders. Let the holy spirit give them the strength they need to speak up and get the help they need.

 “Good Saint Dymphna, great wonder-worker in every affliction of mind and body, I humbly implore your powerful intercession with Jesus through Mary, the Health of the Sick, in my present need. (Mention it.) Saint Dymphna, martyr of purity, patroness of those who suffer with nervous and mental afflictions, beloved child of Jesus and Mary, pray to Them for me and obtain my request.”

If you know someone who is showing signs of a mental illness. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t be afraid to go against their wishes. And most of all, don’t stop until they have gotten the help they need. We all need to look out for each other’s best interests and ultimately, each other’s health.