Robin Williams' last decision

[Sparky]

If Robin Williams had a second chance, knowing what effect his actions had, he would not have made his last choice.

[D_Archer]

He would have not married or married with a prenup.

Regards,
Daniel

[BronzeDragon]

If I were to die, I doubt it would have much effect on anyone. A few people would mourn for awhile and then get on with their lives. And then they'll die and I'll be forgotten. In a generation or so, hardly anyone will care that Robin Williams ever existed. So really, the effect my suicide would have on others wouldn't even be a factor in making such a decision. I guess that's kind of cynical and fatalistic, but there it is.

[Sparky]

Dragon, Most of your speculations and assumptions are just not true. Have you been raised by wolves, and been a hermit recluse all of your life. If not, you have touched someone and that touch will continue on, with unpredictable effects.

If you die as a homeless vagrant, you may still touch someone and affect their life.

If your life is a roller coaster, just hold on, it will climb back up. Just don't make any irreversible decisions.

[MrAmsterdam]

Hello All,

I guess about a 100 people will care. That's the amount of people around you in your social circle.

Some goes for me...oh well...

Anyways, about Robin Williams, wasn't he on experimental non-FDA-approved psycho-active medicine(?!) when he took his decision ? Be really careful with that stuff even if a doctor tells you to take it...

[BronzeDragon]

Dragon, Most of your speculations and assumptions are just not true. Have you been raised by wolves, and been a hermit recluse all of your life. If not, you have touched someone and that touch will continue on, with unpredictable effects.

If you die as a homeless vagrant, you may still touch someone and affect their life.

If your life is a roller coaster, just hold on, it will climb back up. Just don't make any irreversible decisions.

Thanks, I appreciate that. Yeah, when I'm not depressed I realize that there are people who care about me and need me; but I'm depressed, I become very cynical and fatalistic. At least nowadays, I am able to recognize that it's just a part of my brain going bonkers and that it will pass. Things get worse, then they get better. They always do.

[Sparky]

Dragon, thank you for interpreting my post correctly. Your first post was somewhat disturbing, and I react strongly to a person's distress, because of my personal experiences.

Use your experience to assist someone.

[viscount aero]

If Robin Williams had a second chance, knowing what effect his actions had, he would not have made his last choice.

That's not necessarily true is it? Williams was smart and thought endlessly about what it would do.

To that, most suicides I know of, before their deaths, don't care one iota about what the surviving world thinks of them. If they cared that much then they wouldn't have killed themselves. But their own personal pain of remaining alive, in their circumstances, overshadows everything. Suicide is a major decision.

[Sparky]

But their own personal pain of remaining alive, in their circumstances, overshadows everything.

Yes, focus on self. Leading to an irrational decision. My experience and study leads me to conclude that life termination, such as Robin's, was premature for his condition.
And being convinced of that perspective, he would not have proceeded at that time.

Suicide is a major decision

YA think!!???

[viscount aero]

But their own personal pain of remaining alive, in their circumstances, overshadows everything.

Yes, focus on self. Leading to an irrational decision. My experience and study leads me to conclude that life termination, such as Robin's, was premature for his condition.
And being convinced of that perspective, he would not have proceeded at that time.

Suicide is a major decision

YA think!!???

Yes it's a major decision. I see now the hilarity of the comment. I think Williams was mentally ill. I do know of cases where the suicidal one was "talked off the ledge." But I think a lot of them don't respond to that. It's ironic in that many Hollywood types, "funny people," are the saddest of them all and kill themselves.

[Sparky]

What is "mental illness"? Much of the time it is being in an inhospitable environment, which ones experience and perception can not adjust to.

We saw Robin's mind racing ahead of his mouth. If that was his normal state, then there must have been discomfort when he couldn't turn it off. His mind made him a genius.
It must have taken him onto a tangent that he accepted as true. Look around at all who are in the same place, but find someone or others to bond with. Ideology is very dangerous when accepted as true.

[viscount aero]

What is "mental illness"? Much of the time it is being in an inhospitable environment, which ones experience and perception can not adjust to.

It's anything that takes your thoughts and actions to an extreme place, to a strange place, that often ties into some form of self-destruction or the destruction of others. Anything that seeks to destroy in malevolence. It is often seen through the lens of delusion and fantasy as things appear dire or askew when they're really not. That is mental illness. It can assume many guises.

We saw Robin's mind racing ahead of his mouth. If that was his normal state, then there must have been discomfort when he couldn't turn it off.

Turn what off? His mind or mouth?

Williams, despite his artistic gifts, was also egoistic and a narcissist. He evidently bemoaned his waning celebrity status and later-stage in life financial debacles. He was going broke and "aging out."

From what I can deduce, his prior achievements mattered little to him under his current circumstances. The older he got, he felt always lacking. He felt more and more worthless both as a bankable actor and as one whose money was getting tighter and tighter. He had huge sums to pay out monthly for a divorce. And he had to take roles that were "beneath" him. For example, a tv show that he played a starring role in was canceled due to lack of ratings. So his ego was devastated. He gave in to all of this and killed himself. Hollywood has a way of siphoning off your confidence and sense of self-worth. It can be worse on one who at once soared so high in it--only to crash and burn at the bottom later in life.

His mind made him a genius.
It must have taken him onto a tangent that he accepted as true. Look around at all who are in the same place, but find someone or others to bond with. Ideology is very dangerous when accepted as true.

I don't quite follow what you mean there except that he was a genius.

[viscount aero]

I forgot to mention that he was an alcoholic. I believe, too, he was on psychotropic drugs to counter depression. So often with these things the drugs only deepen the depression, particularly if the dosages become erratic or are ceased.

[Sparky]

It is still a matter or choice and responsibility. Depression and alcoholism are not mental illnesses. They exacerbate and confuse the thinking and decision making, which are the problems. His last decision was an irreversible one.

Those who have survived a suicide attempt, mostly change their mind about that decision.

Putting labels or attributing actions to illness will not bring understanding.

It could more rightly be called an accident of living.

[viscount aero]

It is still a matter or choice and responsibility. Depression and alcoholism are not mental illnesses. They exacerbate and confuse the thinking and decision making, which are the problems. His last decision was an irreversible one.

Those who have survived a suicide attempt, mostly change their mind about that decision.

Putting labels or attributing actions to illness will not bring understanding.

It could more rightly be called an accident of living.

We can respectfully somewhat agree to disagree. I think addiction and depression are mental illnesses most certainly. We all get depressed and that is normal but Williams' was not normal. It was chronic and debilitative and allowed him to kill himself. That is quite ABnormal. The body and mind's natural state is to preserve itself and life at all costs. Any addiction that is destructive/self-destructive is absolutely a disease. The meme of "not putting labels" is untrue and fallacious as everything must be labeled as something in order to identify what it is. Language is by its very nature a mode of communication through identification. This includes labeling.