On August 11, 2014, the genie was released from his lamp for the final time. Robin Williams was quite the character to say the least; he always played the funny guy (or lady) in chart-topping movies such as Aladdin, Jumanji, Mrs. Doubtfire, Flubber, Night at the Museum. Not only was he a movie artist, but he successfully executed numerous performances of hilariousness on the standup stage.
Like many of us who invest our lives inspiring and/or humoring others, there's a possibility of possessing unnoticed severe pain inside your heart. This secret "pain" as society calls it, is depression in the books. To those suffering, when the disease reaches its peak, it feels like we've entered the black hole from hell and are stuck inside forever. All of the love, never-give-ups, and fan mail isn't enough to combat this brutal disease.
Depression is a disease. It may not make our insides deteriorate and our essential organs shut down, but it eats our well-being alive; it makes our minds, souls, and hearts shut down as if they've been ripped to shreds and burned. Some people think mental illness is a phase, all in your head, or even doesn't exist. Others say suicide is giving up, selfish, or even cowardly; in reality, it's not completely the sufferer's choice. Your body is reacting to the desires to free itself from all of the pain and suffering.
After this awful tragedy, people had the nerve to troll his daughter. The media also had the nerve to skew the truth just to gain attention and popularity All they were doing was taking away from what actually happened, which was a beautiful person leaving this world due to mental illness. Plain and simple. Stop over complicating everything, people!
Mental illness is an invisible illness that can become fatal if left untreated. Depression can be caused by chemical imbalances, genetics, situational/environmental factors such as being bullied, and much more. If you see yourself suffering to a point where you can't even function in life anymore, go get help. If you're thinking of killing yourself, there's anonymous lifelines where you can call and talk to someone. They had one of those at the university I attended. At one point, I had to call the hotline on one of my friends after one of his friends committed suicide, which ultimately led to him seeking help. There's even "To Write Love on Her Arms", which is an organization that spreads love to all, connects people to proper treatment, and provides an uplifting environment for spreading the awareness of mental illness.
Getting help is not and should not be a stigma or something "embarrassing". It's the same as going to the doctor if you're sick. I've even needed to seek help at times. The most difficult part of mental illness is admitting you have a problem and going to go take care of it. As soon as you take the first steps, the rest is a recovery battle. When you get help, tell yourself you're worthy of recovery and worthy of returning to the light again. Sometimes, all it takes is a push from one person.
From one star ending their life to another, to reduce the occurrence of suicide, admitting you need help or have a problem is not a display weakness. The desire to make yourself well again is a display of courage and strength. You can triumph through your worst nightmare. I believe in you!
