O Captain! My Captain!

Nanu nanu, this is Kryptos from Earth reporting in...

...the sad news of the passing of a man who - throughout his career as an actor - put a smile on our faces. A man who many of you know as the friendly (yet a little bit weird) Alien "Mork" from the TV series "Mork & Mindy", as Teacher "John Keating" in "The Dead Poets Society", as "Professor Philip Brainard" in Disney's "Flubber", as "Dr. Sean Maguire" in "Good Will Hunting", as "Mrs. Doubtfire" or as " Airman Second Class Adrian Cronauer" (DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Service) in "Good Morning, Vietnam".

ROBIN WILLIAMS

 

According to news sources, he was found dead in his house on Monday, 11th of August 2014. As cause of death, they assume suicide. (News sources also tell that, besides his battles against alcohol and cocaine addictions, he also suffered from severe depression). A toxicology report is yet to be published.

Depression is a topic that is difficult for us "healthy" people to understand. We don't know what it means to be suffering from this "chemical imbalance in the brain" (which often times seems to be at the very least co-created by *other* chemicals) which makes people think badly about life, and even about themselves (even though they are usually some of the coolest people on this planet - and on other planets as well!)

Healthy people don't know what crazy, scary, weird, worrysome and lonely thoughts and feelings someone with depression goes through, unless someone they love suffers from it. But even then, they only understand a fraction. But if they take warning signs seriously, they might still be able to save their loved ones. Sometimes it takes as little as a few nice words and a hug to make people change their mind.

One of Robin Williams' quotes was:

"I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone."

It's sad that someone, who made millions of people around the planet happy, wasn't happy himself in the end. And we wonder, is there something we could have done or said to change his mind? (Fuck, I would have tried, if I had known about him suffering from depression). 

In 2009 I was equally shocked about the suicide of the German soccer goalkeeper Robert Enke, who ended his life dramatically by jumping in front of a train. Who - by the looks of people from the outside - had everything going for him, including a nomination for the German national team.

***WARNING***

Alcohol is bad as it is due to the various health issues it can cause.

Coupled with depression and anti-depressants it can be even worse, as it is known to worsen an existing depression, as well as it can make anti-depressants not work properly, or even cause some of their severe side effects to happen, suicide being one of them. If you are suffering from depression and think death is your only way out, think again. GET HELP. Open up to people you love and care about, and start your fight AGAINST depression today. Your loved ones will thank you. If you have no loved ones, e-mail me and I will give you some goddamn good reasons to stay in this world: kryptos973281@googlemail.com

 PS: Maybe a lot of people who suffer from depression should have had lessons with some of the teachers I had in my early school days. I remember one time when each of us got a mirror from the teacher, on which was written "Du bist kostbar, wertvoll und geliebt!" (English: You are precious, valuable and loved") I'm sure reading that when looking into the mirror (and knowing it is true) could cheer up and help a lot of people.