Robin Williams And Me

I did not know Robin Williams. I never met him. I only had the pleasure of being acquainted with the characters he played in movies. But since hearing the news of his death, I have been deeply saddened. Maybe due to the abrupt nature of his untimely death. Maybe because my heart has always felt the pain of others in a bizarre and disturbing way. I am highly emotional and have an uncanny characteristic of being sensitive to other's struggles.

Or maybe because I have been there. We all have haven't we? When we feel the weight of the world closing in on our minds. The thoughts in our head make us go crazy. And for a moment we begin to dwindle into the darkness. I know that I have. In various periods of my life, I have had waves of depression. I have felt alone and helpless. I have at times felt like my life was of little value. The heaviness of guilt or heartache has become too much for me at times. And if I am being honest, I will always believe that my kids have saved me because if living for myself ever becomes not enough, living for them will always be enough.

No one speaks out loud about depression though because if you do people will judge you first rather than try to understand. People don't speak about depression because they are afraid of what others will think. You will be accused of being crazy, mentally off, or insane. You are unstable and unfit. Something is wrong with you.

Yes something is wrong. Generally an imbalance in your brain function, hormones, or chemicals in your body. But nothing is wrong with you. And you don't have to be on medication to overcome depression or prevent something as drastic as suicide. I believe you must surround yourself with people who love you, understand you, believe in you, and value you. So when you can't pick yourself up, they can.

I am not writing this or sharing for anyone to feel sorry for me. I am writing & sharing because I think the only way to help people with depression is to talk about it. When the weight of the world becomes too much, people should feel comfortable saying how they truly feel. They shouldn't feel ashamed or afraid. They shouldn't be made to feel any lonelier than they already are feeling.

This is one of my favorite quotes and it so beautifully captures the truth about us humans...