Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Torment of Mental Illness. An Insider's View as to why Robin Williams took his own Life & what a Life it was!


 

BLOG BACKGROUND:


Kevin H. Donan, one of my West Coast Facebook Friends who owns:


As The Record Turns

on

6727 3/8 Hollywood Boulevard

in

Los Angeles, California

posted a Photograph of himself holding three (3) Robin William Albums in Memorial of the Passing of this Great Man/Person/Entertainer who (due to Depression) killed him; committed Suicide on August 11, 2014, shortly after his 63RD Birthday. In his Caption, Kevin asked his Friends to make a Comment, of which I posted the following on Facebook and now on my Blog, Koopersmithin’ (here) to explain exactly HOW Depression manifests or presents itself, since I’ve Experience with a Person struggling with this Mental Illness. Throughout my lifelong career of being a Music Publicist, I have had a Series of Clients who suffered from Mental Illness; mostly Depression / Manic Depression / Bouts of Schizophrenia.

Although I am not a Doctor (and contrary to popular Belief, I am in no relation to Dr. Koop, although my last name is truly Koopersmith’), this Overview will give a rare Insight to the Reader  into HOW the Disease of Mental Illness manifests itself.  Furthermore, it may additionally serve as a Way to COPE in case your Loved One commits Suicide.

BY ALL MEANS:  Please share this with others.  We are all Human.  It’s a fine Line between Sanity and Insanity.  Gladness & Madness is only a ‘Snap’away.  Like Smokey The Bear’s Motto of:

ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES;

Only YOU (the Observer) can help those afflicted with Mental Illness. Perhaps by our Intervention, we can help them retain/regain and Live a much happier and productive Life.

As stated on Kevin’s Facebook Page at: 

What a beautiful Tribute to ROBIN WILLIAMS, Kevin H. Donan  & We (in Chicago where he was born and lived) are totally NUMB over his Suicide.  My Best Friend is clinically depressed, as ROBIN was and he (my Friend states): 


"I'm laughing on the OUTSIDE; Crying on the INSIDE"

which makes a lot of sense.  Plus, they are both nearly the same age, Robin was 63; my Friend is 64.  What's strange though is that my Friend has been abnormally depressed since he turned 64; he took to staying in bed; he just could NOT handle it.  I would guess the blatant thought of now being 60+ is shocking and that you've LIVED most of your Life.


I don't think some People (Men) can take this DOSE OF REALITY very well.  Add in Drinking/Drugs, it doesn't help matters.  Esp. so if you DRINK, because after the HIGH wears off, a Person becomes depressed even IF he is not clinically depressed.  Addiction never paints a pretty picture.   By the same token, I firmly believe that some Addicts don’t like being sober once they have completed a success Recovery. They’d much prefer being addicted. 
 

Plus, for those of us who are FRIENDS (and/or intimate) with a Substance Abuser, We have GROWN  accustomed to like/love/appreciate their Addictive Personality.  When in AA: Alcoholics Anonymous (which includes NA: Narcotics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous) they refer to this as: “Peeling off the Layers of the Onion till you get to its Core.”


For the Addicted Comedian, s/he may feel (underneath it all) that he cannot be FUNNY, etc. if he is not drinking or drugging.  The abusive Substance opens them up (in other words).  That’s just my Personal Evaluation as I’d say 85% of the People (I know) and Relatives (I have) have ‘Issues.’ It might be higher. 


Furthermore, if the Addict is clinically depressed whereby they tumble into this Dark Abyss of No Return, they free-fall into what I call a 'Double Whammy.'  I think this shocked us all the most, because ROBIN had every THING to live for; that We (collectively) ever dreamed of:  Popularity - Stardom - Money and yet he took his own Life.  What happened?  IF this happened to him, can it happen to us?  It’s hard to understand.  Mental Illness is extremely complex; especially so to the Layman.  In a physical injury, you know that the ‘bleeding’ must be stopped. In Depression or any of the other major Mental Illnesses where you cannot PHYSICALLY SEE THE PROBLEM, the Victim/Patient suffers in silence until something Positive or Negative is done.


The Positive is in getting Help.

The Negative manifests itself in Suicide or harming others.  Enter: Criminal Acts of Violence that We hear about every Day on the News.

Wanting the Help is yet another Story. Mental Illness plays Games with who it affects.  That’s why Stories as these grab our Hearts and make us wonder “WHY?” of which there is never an Answer.  Being a famous and beloved Celebrity allows Mental Illness to strike a Chord with all of us who  imagine a different Life for those of us who are NOT stars.  However, Mental Illness crosses all Borders.  From Presidents to Peasants, Mental Illness takes control and is not for the ‘weak at heart.’  It’s sheer hell. 
 

I feel very sad for his Wife, Susan Schneider, who is going thru 'Stages of Disbelief' as well.
 

IF ONLY...


If she had only monitored him those last 12 Hours, she may have been able to SAVE HIM...but you really cannot travel down that Road.  The Spotlight will shine for a Spell on the Seduction of  Addictions that culminates in Suicide. That’s the Way the Media is.  Maybe someone will be helped, if they so suffer – if they so wish to be treated.  Each Case is personal; as is each Story. 
Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor,
stand-up comedian,
voice actor, film producer
and
screenwriter. 
But, he will be remembered for much, much more. 

This is a Horrible Loss to all of us around the World.  There will never be another "Robin Williams."  May HE rest in Peace and not be tormented by the Addictions that he so fought against. 


Posted by:
ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Screenwriter – Author – Eventologist – Promoter
Studio 1258 & 1437
Chicago, Illinois USA


PS:  More about Kevin H. Donan’s  in’s Operation, contact him directly at:

323-251-4895


https://www.facebook.com/AsTheRecordTurns







                          ***
A second Blog follows much in the Vein of the above Newsitorial:


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Variety, The Spice of Life with Robin Williams & Variety Magazine. A Link that is now broken.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014. National Splurge Day’s The Daily Splurge® #53 deals with a very sad Topic:  The Passing and Death of:

  

Robin McLaurin Williams,

an American Actor,

Stand-Up Comedian,

Voice Actor,

Film Producer & Screenwriter
 
 
and one of my new Twitter Friends, VARIETY Magazine that I have read for decades upon decades, becoming 62 as of August 9, 2014.  Both Robin Williams & Variety have added Volumes of Variety to our Lives for the Amount of Time they have been here working, writing, researching and entertaining us.  Variety, The Magazine has featured Mr. Williams for years, while Robin’s enormous Span of Talent runs from Comedy to serious Portrayals; indeed giving the Word ‘variety’ an entirely new Definition when it comes to new and exciting Adventures to experience. 
 
 
He touched many People for Generations across the World. Earlier in the Afternoon, Robin’s Facebook Page had


6,897,519 Posts.*

Within a few Hours, it soared to: 

 
6,975,925 by 2:27 PM CST. 
 
That’s Love.
 
Death has a sneaky Way of making us automatically stop and put our Lives into Perspective.  Sadly, We often do not see this Truism until someone mighty special to us who was so diversified as Robin was passes from our View.

If there’s a Life Lesson to be learned from (t)his Death, it’s to live each Day to its fullest and experience all the Variety you can.  In Life, online and at @Variety.  Coping and Hoping via a Variety of Activities can keep a Mind, Spirit & Body Connection happy, healthy and in-balance.  When it comes to ‘Likeability’ they were far ahead of their Times and ‘Facebook,’ as We all know. 

 
 ***

*NOTE:  As of August 21, 2014, Mr. William's Fanfare on his Facebook Page:
has gone from:

6,975,925  on  August 12, 2014 - 2:27 PM CST
to  
9,426,849 Likes as of August 21, 2014 - 2:03 PM CST
that illustrates how the Strength of Social Media Networking joins and connects People across the Planet and clues them in to significant Topics/Subjects/Issues/Concerns as Mental Illness.  This Increase is of:

2,450,924 who are now well-informed. 


================================


THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED MEDIA
THAT HAS SPOTLIGHTED
MY WRITINGS / CONCEPTS / PHILOSOPHIES FOLLOWS 
More Media Opportunities for YOU via my Media Strides:
  1990 - Present
A List of where my Writings have appeared:
USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Insight Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, Time Magazine,  ESPN: The Magazine; Fast Company, Redbook, More Magazine, Woman’s World, Sports Illustrated For Kids, Village Voice, Nickelodeon, The Times Picayune, The Gainesville Sun, The Springfield News-Leader, Dave Egger’s Might Magazine, The Milwaukee-Journal-Sentinel, The Detroit Free Press, The Daily Herald, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Advocate/Greenwich Time, The San Antonio Express, The Dallas Morning News, Skyline, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Home Cooking, Cooking Light, Chase’s Calendar of Events, The Daily Northwestern, Popular Photography and Imaging, Shutterbug, Kennedy’s Confection (London, England), Eric Cohen Books (Israel) and an Estonian Newspaper as well as an endless Assortment of Websites since 1994, followed by Blogs, Facebook Postings, ‘Tweets’ on  Twitter and employing other popular Social Networks.  Besides being the Guest on over 3,000 Radio Interviews (including The Voice of America since 1990), ABC, NBC, CBS & MSNBC Television Networks have also featured me for my Creation of these Creative Words + Works.
 * * *






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