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Sad News ... Robin Williams Dead at 63

posted by azrael on Tuesday August 12 2014, @08:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the made-us-laugh-now-makes-us-cry dept.

ghost writes:

I just heard some sad news on talk radio - Actor/comedian Robin Williams was found dead in his California home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the soylent community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his contributions to popular culture. Truly an American icon.

[Ed: Further: This is now being reported by the BBC as an apparent suicide. CNN also have an obituary for Robin Williams.]

 
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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by mendax on Tuesday August 12 2014, @08:00PM

    by mendax (2840) on Tuesday August 12 2014, @08:00PM (#80565)

    I've been struggling regarding whether to post this anonymously or not but decided against it. Sometimes, a person needs to more public than usual about some things for the benefit of others.

    Robin Williams' sad fate is an example to all of us who are addicts. I have no doubt that there are many who patronize this fine web site. Robin Williams was a alcoholic and a drug addict, but what killed him was the horrible pain that drives people to addictive substances and behaviors, such as sex (including pornography), gambling, food, and debt. As an addict who works in Twelve Step programs for his own personal demons that have wrecked aspects of my life, I know EXACTLY what was going on in his mind and what he was feeling. As a suicide attempt survivor and someone who has been battling depression his entire life (mainly due to PTSD thanks to the neighborhood pedophile when I was a kid) I know EXACTLY what drove him to what he did.

    It's apparent that he's been in trouble for a while. A news story [cbslocal.com] I ran into last night quoted a local TV news cameraman who was surprised to see Robin Williams at a Mill Valley AA meeting about a month ago. The cameraman said, "He was very slow in his movements and his demeanor was also very low. He really, really needed support at that time." How many times have I seen that at meetings. How often have I been in his shoes at meetings.

    It should be no surprise that Robin Williams was a tortured soul. You really can't be a great comedian without having suffered a great deal. Great psychological makes great humor. Mark Twain, far and away the greatest humorist in the English language suffered from depression and anxiety his entire life. He suffered much but it was that suffering that made him funny. That suffering drips from the words of his writings. The funnier they are, the deeper the pain he was feeling. Given just how funny Robin Williams was, is it any wonder that he killed himself?

    So, if you are drinking or using, get to a meeting.

    --
    It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
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