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Depression Robin WilliamsAlberta FlennorydavisCourtney JonesCalifornia State Dominguez HillsPsychology 363 - 01December 11, 2018IntroductionNanu-Nanu are the famous words of the late Robin Williams, who played Mork on the 1978 television series Mork and Mindy. Robin was a well-known comedian/actor that made people laugh for over thirty years of his career on in show business. How is it that a man who spent most of his life putting smiles on the face of many, become depressed enough to end his own life? To answer this question, we will attempt to analyze the life and death of Robin Williams.People with rich relationships and social networks have been found to live longer, are less prone to commit suicide, are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders such as depression and alcoholism (Sue, et al., 2016: 56).
According to Freud (1917), some cases of depression could be linked to a loss or rejection by a parent. Depression is like grief, in that it often occurs as a reaction to the loss of an important relationship (McLeod, 2015).
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Studies support the conclusion that social isolation and lack of emotional support and intimacy are correlated with depression (McIntosh, 1991; Paykel et al., 2003). No matter how hard Robin Williams worked it was never enough to overcome his loneliness, and addition. Robin Williams was born in July 21, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Laurie and Robert Williams worked long hours. Robin was left alone most of the time playing with his toys and imaginary friend. Robins parents left Detroit and moved to Michigan when he was a young boy.
He attended Detroit Country Day school. He spent most of his time making others laugh and being the center of attention. He dropped out of school in 1976 to begin his acting career. Robin appeared on television shows like Happy Days and Threes Company. However, his career began to thrust after getting the part on the 1978 hit television series Mork and Mindy. The same year he met his first wife while Valerie Velardi while in San Francisco; however, that marriage would end with the couple agreeing on irreconcilable differences. Robin developed a serious drinking and drug problem within the first decade of his career. His first son Zachary Williams was born in April 1983. Robin checked himself into rehabilitation in 1989. He married his second wife Grace that same year. He stayed sober for nearly fifteen years until his relapse in 2006. While on a standup comedy tour in 2009, titled Weapons of Destruction Robin found it difficult to breath. This may have been contributed to the fact that he had performed in over ten cities in under a month. He was later diagnosed with S.O. B (shortness of breath) and informed by his physician to take some time off and rest. Psychological conditions such as depression can influence both physiological functioning and behaviors that affect health (Sue, et al., 2016:194). Robin had two children Zelda and Cody from his third wife Susan Schneider. Robin worked hard in the film industry for over thirty years. It seemed that he found extreme comfort being on stage in front of large audiences. According to Bandura, (1977) social cognitive theory implies that people are molded by interactions of their thoughts, environments, and behaviors. Robin's face was on the big screen nearly every year of his career beginning in 1980 until his death in 2014. Some of the films he starred in were Dead Poets, Jacob the Liar, Good Will Hunting, Awakening, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. The last film featuring Robin Williams titled Boulevard. was previewed in July 2015.Robin was married three times which exhibits he had difficulty maintaining relationships. He was unfaithful to his first and second wife. Robin once said, God gave men both a penis and a brain, but unfortunately not enough blood to run both at the same time. Robins relationship problems may have started from his parent's inability to provide him with the necessary love and attention when he was a child. Out of all the interpersonal cases that can contribute on the onset of a depressive disorder, the ambiance of a family has the most weight and impact on a depressed individual (Beattie, 2005). Robin was able to mask his pain of loneliness, because most of the audience could only admire his talents.Alcoholism is a disorder that is exhibited in two major ways; (1) the person may need to use alcohol daily to function; that is, he or she may be unable to abstain, (2) and the person may be able to abstain from consuming alcohol for certain periods of time but fail to remain free. This explains why Robin once said, Cocaine is God's way of telling you are making too much money (Robin Williams). Alcoholism has physiological and psychological effects; one of the short-term effects is that it depresses the central nervous system functioning once it reaches the blood system; while the long-term effects of alcohol may include elevated tolerance overtime, discomfort, anxiety, physical discomfort, anxiety, and hallucinations.Chronic alcoholism destroys brain cells and is often accompanied by poor nutritional habits and physical deterioration. (Sue, et al., 2016:236), and it is related to Generalized depression Studies show that at least 14 million adults suffer from drug and alcohol dependency (Nitzkin & Smith, 2004). Alcoholism may escalate suicidal ideations which is correlated with health problems, and a shorter life span of about ten to twelve years. Also, alcoholism has high rates of suicide, spousal abuse, and divorce (Sue, et al., 2016:236). The fact is over seventy-five thousand deaths a year are the result of excessive alcohol use, which is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). Unfortunately, alcoholism was a key factor in the Robin Williams life. ConclusionFinally, in assessing the life of actor/comedian Robins Williams we have concluded that his child-parent relationship caused him to have negative interpersonal relationships which was exhibited by the number of times he married. His drug and alcohol addiction increased his feelings of loneliness/ depression. The depression may have been the reason for the man who made many people laugh decided to end his own life.ReferencesBandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of self-control. New York: FreemanBeattie, G. S. (2005, November). Social Causes of Depression. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006, June 5). Alcohol and public health. Retrieved January 11, 2008, from www.cdc.gov/alcoholMcIntosh, J. L. (1991). Epidemiology of suicide in the U.S. In A. A. Leenaars (Ed.), Lifespan perspectives of suicide. New York: Plenum (56)McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from J., & Smith, S. A. (2004). Clinical preventive services in substance abuse and mental health update: From science to services (DHHS Publication No. SMA 04-3906). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health ServicesPaykel, E. S., Abbott, R., Jenkins, R., Brugha, T., & Meltzer, H. (2003). Urban-rural mental health differences in Great Britain: Findings from the National MorbiditySurvey. International Review of Psychiatry, 15, 97"107.Robin Williams. (2018, July 17). Retrieved December 9, 2018, from D., Sue, D. W., Sue, D. M., & Sue, S. (2016). Understandingabnormal behavior. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. (56, 194, 236-238)Wade, R. M. (n.d.). Theories of Depression. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from
Depression Robin Williams. (2019, Aug 20). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/depression-robin-williams-essay
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