Two days ago on Monday, August 11, a beloved actor and comedian was found hanging in his house. The coroner's report "death by asphyxiation." The man who had brought so much laughter into our lives had been plagued with mental illness, and after fighting what could have been a life long diagnosis, Robin lost his battle. By evening, Robin's death was on every channel and overtook the social networks. Yesterday, I opened my Facebook page to see that this had only increased, and I found myself frustrated. Don't get me wrong,the loss of this man is an atrocity for the film world, for his many fans, and most importantly, for his family. But, I found myself wondering, why are we making such a big deal out of it?
In spite of his fame, Robin was no different that the other 107 people, who according to statistics committed suicide on the same day. No different than the woman found in her car, the man in his apartment, the man in the carry-out, or the man found in his shop. His family is left reeling like others left behind, wondering what they could have done differently.They have now joined a new culture, the group of over 4.8 billion suicide survivors (based on statistics of the number of survivors between 1987-2011).
The reports say Robin was found hanging from a belt, but on his wrist were superficial cuts, and the knife lay near by. I know these superficial cuts, I bear their faded scars.I have been to the point Robin found himself that morning. I have been to the point that no other option made sense. Luckily, I was able to slowly climb out of its grasps. Luckily, like the estimated 987, 950 who unsuccessfully attempt suicide each year, I did not succeed. It is shocking to know that every 27 seconds, another person feels this is their only option, and unsuccessfully attempts to end their life. It is shocking to think that we can be so blind to over look so much pain, ignore it, or play it off as nothing.
I still struggle to keep my depression under control. I have no choice but to pop a few happy pills each day in order to help me through the day. Some may argue and say I do have a choice. I could pray harder, exercise more, find things that make me happy, or just push on (trust me, I have heard it all). They would never say this to the cancer patient, the heart patient, or someone with diabetes. It goes to show how far we have yet to go in understanding. My brain does not produce a chemical needed to keep things on an even keel. It is a medical condition, not a choice. The choice lies in what role I allow it to play in my life, although sometimes, even that feels out of my control. The choice lies in whether I seek assistance and find support to help keep me in check.
Not only do I understand the pain Robin faced, but I understand the pain that his family and friends are dealing with. Suicide has reared its ugly head in my family way too many times. I have seen the continual devastation and pain it causes. I pray that for Robin,'s family and the families of the others who died on Monday, that people set aside their judgement, reach out to them, and support those who left behind.
It is my hope that shock of Robin's death and the sudden surge of interest in recognizing mental illness does not fade.It is my hope that Robin's death will not overshadow the other 107 who died on Monday, the other 755 who will commit suicide this week, the other 39, 517 who will succeed at suicide this year. Instead I hope that it brings a deeper awareness and understanding of mental illness. I hope it challenges us to check in on others, take a minute to listen, and take a minute to care. I hope,that we, as a society, do not let this interest fade once the shock wears off, but instead we use it as the springboard to spend more time researching, educating ourselves and others to the facts, not the myths of this terrible disease. I hope that each of us can reach out to those who are battling depression and other mental illness, that we can reach out to those left behind. It is time to set aside our stereotypes, prejudices, and ignorance and learn about the disease that is the third leading cause of death in youth and the tenth leading cause of death in our nation.
Good-bye, Robin. You were one of the greats! I pray that you have found the peace you searched desperately for in your life. I pray that your legacy lives on, not on the screen or in the thought of lost talent, but in the research and awareness of mental illness.
(Statistics from the American Association of Suicidology, based current data of 2011)
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