Robin Williams had Parkinsons.

CinemaGoddess · August 2014

CinemaGoddess · August 2014

OMG BUMP I HATE YOU.

"Robin spent so much of his life helping others. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the frontlines, or comforting a sick child — Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid.

Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched. His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.

Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.

It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid."

Read more: https://www.wcvb.com/entertainment/wife-robin-williams-had-parkinsons-disease/27479206#ixzz3AOWLd2Ot

thebanich · August 2014

This just breaks my heart.

sleepy33 · August 2014

Gah. My dad has Parkinson's, and also schizophrenia. This is all hitting way too close to home for me.

[Deleted User] · August 2014

Hawkward said:

Damn.

Her statement is eloquent for someone whose grief is so fresh.

There are people who help with this stuff.

vandelay · August 2014

So sad. :-(

vandelay · August 2014

@sleepy33 and @bunnyfungo, big hugs to both of you.

sleepy33 · August 2014

LongLiveTheEvilQueen said:

I literally just read an article on this. It's his wife who shared his illness and I can't help but wonder if they are trying to take the focus off of his suicide. For the last 3 days everyone thought he committed suicide because his was depressed now it's because he has a debilitating disease. I feel like an asshat for questioning why they changed the story but I understand why the initially kept things quiet. It's always extremely fucked up his daughter Zelda had to quit Twitter due to the backlash. This whole thing makes me sad. Edit: words

It is sad. Most people did not know how to deal with my dad when he 'just' had a mental illness. People treated him like...well, like a crazy person. Ignored him at best, treated him terribly at worst. But now that he has a physical illness with visible symptoms, it's a whole different story. Sympathy, understanding, asking how he's doing, etc.

ETA: Stigma fucking sucks

aerotigergirl · August 2014

LongLiveTheEvilQueen said:

I literally just read an article on this. It's his wife who shared his illness and I can't help but wonder if they are trying to take the focus off of his suicide. For the last 3 days everyone thought he committed suicide because his was depressed now it's because he has a debilitating disease. I feel like an asshat for questioning why they changed the story but I understand why the initially kept things quiet. It's always extremely fucked up his daughter Zelda had to quit Twitter due to the backlash. This whole thing makes me sad. Edit: words

All due respect, but depression IS a debilitating disease for many people. Parkinson's is horrible and ruthless, no doubt, but just because he also had a serious physical problem going on doesn't mean that his depression gets demoted to just "oh, he's a little blue." No. Statements like this are why there is such a stigma around mental illness. We need to respect that mental illnesses are just as serious as physical illnesses.

Unknown · August 2014

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aerotigergirl · August 2014

@LongLiveTheEvilQueen - So, wait... Are you saying that having Parkinson's is an acceptable reason to commit suicide while depression isn't?

Seems to me that the folks who've said he was "selfish" or "a coward" for committing suicide will still feel that way, regardless of the reason for committing suicide.

MJN9510 · August 2014

SO sad. My dad has Parkinson's and its an awful disease to watch your loved one live with. I feel so bad for what Robin Williams was dealing with (depression and Parkinsons and all) and what his family has been going through. People are just cruel. I cant believe how horrible social media has been to them.

CinemaGoddess · August 2014

LongLiveTheEvilQueen said:

No..... that's not what I'm saying. Unfortunately there is a stigma is our society that says if you commit suicide because your depressed your "selfish" and a "coward". When you commit suicide when you have cancer, parkinsons etc it's an act of "mercy" like assisted physician suicide. My personal view is its your life. Only you can decide how you want to live or die and everyone deserves to live and die with dignity.

Yes. This makes sense.

If you tell someone that you have a "visible" illness, like Parkinsons or Cancer, most people will be empathetic. If you have a "non-visible" illness, like a mental illness, people seem to want you to just suck it up and deal.

jesuisfatiguee · August 2014

And now I'm crying...

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