It's all over the news: Robin Williams, aka "Mork," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Patch Adams," and a host of other roles he was known for, has passed over to the Other Side.
Cause of death? Suicide, it seems. Not surprising since the man battled alcohol addiction most of his life. And that, my friends, is part of what makes the whole thing tearjerking.
Because Robin Williams was one of those truly unique people who do what it takes to not "sell out" and be a carbon copy of everyone else, just for the sake of money.
No, Robin made his living doing what he did best: just being himself. And he did a lot of good for the world. Despite his long inner struggle, his brilliant wit and charm touched a lot of hearts as well as gave us pains in our sides from laughing so. Damn. HARD!!!!
He's been the inspiration for a lot of people in show biz, to say nothing of his warmth and compassion endearing him to movie-and-TV-watchers the world over.
So to find out he ended his own life just tears at the collective inner being of everyone who's watched at least one of his movies or standup routines. And it makes me a little bit angry.
Why? Because I feel something should be done about things like this for ALL people, not just the actors and singers in the public eye. Sure, there's the suicide prevention hotline, and that's great. I am *not* dismissing that, at all. But what about improving our mental health system to where depressed folks aren't just medicated and enrolled in talk therapy? We need to get at the root of what brings on the depression, the addictions.
Some might say it's past life issues clouding things, and it is likely that that is a big part of the problem. Some say it's one's environment growing up, and that, too, plays a role in the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. To be truthful, there are so many strands of possibilities that it is very challenging, if not impossible, to nail down one single root cause for each individual. Psychology is still technically in toddlerhood-to-early-elementary-age. We still don't know enough about the brain, let alone the human SOUL to really get a good grip on why things like addictions manifest, let alone thoughts of suicide, or actions taken to end one's own life.
Which is why I am becoming a strong advocate for alternative healing modalities such as Reiki and Matrix Energetics (Google them both--they're amazing sources of healing that I personally have experienced--and they WORK!).
I strongly feel allopathic medicine and psychiatry and Big Pharma are very, very misguided in their thinking that medicating everyone for this or that mental or emotional problem is the cure-all for everyone's inner issues. Yes, some people respond well to things like SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and other medications that reduce depression and anxiety. But I do not think this should be the only answer. And yes, professional therapy should be part of all of this.
But I am also going to say that maybe, just maybe, people's issues are more deep-seated than what's going on in this lifetime. And I have this strong feeling that this was likely the case with Robin Williams, as it might be with a lot of people.
Of course, all this begs the question: Why are so many CREATIVE people beset by mental and emotional issues? Big Medicine says "Who cares? If they have problems, let's just medicate them." I'm sorry, but that's no real answer. Medicating creative people like that can dull the edge of otherwise very sharp, incisive wits and talent. We need to start doing some honest-to-God studies of brains that belong to the most creative people out there, just to see if we can find out any correlations we have not thought of in neuroscience and psychology. It's not enough to say "this world is too harsh for them." Granted, there are a LOT of cruel people and a LOT of crappy situations. And some folks, creative though they may be, just might not have the tools in their self-healing belt to cope with the cruelty or injustice. That's the key--learning to adapt, learning how to deal with the onslaught of negative vibes in the world. As an empath and creative person myself, that has been a big issue. But for the sake of my calling, learning to balance and adapt is an absolute necessity.
Indeed, many creative people are very emotionally sensitive. It's what makes an Oscar or Tony-winning actor worthy of the awards they get for dramatic roles. It's what makes a class-act musician reap serious glory and praise from their fans. They dig down deep, they let their emotions flow, they pour their heart and soul into their respective crafts, whatever their creative calling might be.
And if life deals them a harsh blow, or several, and they have no real tools to cope properly, that's when the implosion can happen, whether slowly or quickly.
Yet it is the creative, emotionally sensitive people who are likely called to bring light and healing to the world, just as Robin Williams did with his beautifully over-the-top, sidesplitting humor. They say laughing is good for you. Why, then, do people like Robin end up feeling such inner torment despite their ability to uplift and entertain?
Humanity needs answers. Humanity deserves answers that go beyond the next prescription of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant drugs. We need and deserve solutions that go beyond the suicide hotline, helpful as it obviously has been over the years. People like Robin Williams need deep healing--healing that can help balance, but not dim the emotionally sensitive, empathic lights that bring so much joy to this world that seems to get crazier by the minute.
Rest in Peace, Robin Williams. I, and the whole world, will miss you terribly. You are now in the angels' care, though...so, safe travels, Star-Brother.
Peace To All Beings,
Kat ^.^
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