The Black Dog

Last week saw the tragic death of one of Hollywoods most well known and loved comedians.  This sort of news is upsetting at the best of times but what made this event all the more devastating was that Robin Williams made the decision to end his own life.  It soon transpired that alongside a long running battle with alcoholism, Williams was suffering with severe depression.  To anyone who has not had first hand experience, it may seem odd that someone such as this would be suffering from depression.  
After all, he had a loving and supportive family as well as countless fans worldwide.  He was wealthy and famous with everything going right for him!  Outwardly he appeared to be as happy as anybody could hope to be, with a wonderful sense of humour and an abundant supply of witty remarks.  So how is it that Robin Williams, of all people, could be suffering with a mental illness.

You see, depression is just that.  It is an illness.  It's not just feeling a bit sad or low because things aren't quite going your way.  There doesn't have to be something bad going on in your life to feel depressed about.  It is an illness and like most illnesses it can affect almost anyone, regardless of their situation, age or culture.  In fact, mixed Anxiety and Depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with 1 in 4 people experiencing some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year.  Depression, commonly deemed 'The Black Dog', can be be triggered by a certain event in somebody's life but can just as commonly occur for seemingly no reason at all.  You feel constantly tired and lose all motivation to do the things which you usually enjoy.  Even the simplest of tasks seems to require superhuman strength.  It can be very hard to understand why you are feeling this way when there is no definite cause or explanation.  It is not unusual for sufferers to feel guilty or ashamed of the way they are feeling due to the huge stigma which still seems to be attached to mental illness.  As proved by Williams suicide, without the right help and support severe depression can be devastating.

If you think you may be suffering from depression remember that you are not alone.  Having suffered with depression myself I know how much easier it becomes to deal with when you have the support you need and I would strongly urge you to seek help.  Speak to a close friend or a family member about how you are feeling.  I know it can be hard to open up when all you really want to do is shut yourself off from the rest of the world, but trust me when I say that the feeling of having that weight lifted from your shoulders is more than worth the effort.  More importantly still I would encourage you to speak to your GP as there are so many treatment options available to you including medications and therapies.

If you want to find out more about coping with depression and other mental illnesses, please take a look at the Mind or Depression Alliance Websites.

"You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to." - Robin Williams