Actor Robin Williams has died.

[DigitalBuddha]

May Robin Williams' dudeness abide in the great Tau of space and time.

[jgiffin]

I loved the chemistry between Williams and Jonathan Winters. Those two crazy fucks were one of a kind. Well, I guess two of a kind, technically, but yeah you get the picture. They're the only two dudes I've seen who lived THAT FAR out there.

[Stumblin Stumbleweed]

Let's hope that this will promote awareness of depression, that would be the only good thing to come from this truly sad event.

[Reverend Al]

Not to thread-jack this shit but what are those whom you reach out towards about your depression supposed to do? I like the sentiment but the practicality seems suspect...

You need to get the person to seek help.
Depression is a disease.
I've had several friends and acquaintances that suffered from depression. Usually exacerbated by alcohol abuse.
It's important to give them support but most important is to let them know that they need to seek help.
Most of us are not qualified.

Mark it eight, Dudes.  Most people experience depression on occasion for one reason or another, but clinical depression is an entirely different animal.

For anyone who has never dealt with clinical depression (either first-hand or through a loved one), let me give you a little insight from someone who has. Clinical depression is neither rational nor logical, and usually defies reason. Although doctors say there are a number of causes, it often does not require a "trigger" to set it off--you can be fine one day, and wake up severely depressed the next for no apparent reason; it can last for hours, days, weeks, or months (in my experience).

And it's far more than just feeling "sad". For example, think back to the time in your life when a feeling of sadness struck you stronger than any other time in your life, regardless of the reason for that sadness. Now combine that feeling with an overwhelming sense of dread and a complete and total lack of hope, but not know why you feel that way. Got it? Now multiply that feeling by 50. Or 100. Or 1,000. Now imagine not being able to rid yourself of that feeling for several days, or a week, or a month, and still have to try to go about your usual routine day after day, all the while wondering why no one else seems to feel the way you do. That's when the feelings of isolation start to set in, and that tends to worsen the depression you're feeling. And all of that feeds into itself, increasing your downward spiral.

It affects the way you think. You tend to focus and dwell on the "negatives" in your life (whether they're real or imagined). Apathy sets in; you don't care about anything. "Suicide? Why not? Whatever happens when we die, it can't be worse than the way I feel right now." You just want it to end, even if that means the end. Is that selfish? Maybe. But that's where the isolation and apathy come into play. You feel alone, and you don't care about anyone else. Remember, no one around you seems to feel this way (or, at least, that's what you're thinking). And, in my experience, most people don't even seem to notice you feel this way. So if no one cares about what you're going through, why would they care if you weren't there any more? (Again, this is the thought process that can occur with clinical depression; it's only one example.)

The people who do notice are usually family or close friends. They may not know exactly what's going on with you, they just notice you're not your usual self. Now, if you've dealt with it as long as I had, those family and friends might be better than most at recognizing the "signs". Then again, maybe not. And even if they do notice, and have learned what that means, it still doesn't mean they understand it and know how to help you through it--sometimes even people with the best intentions can inadvertently make you feel worse.

I apologize for deviating from the main topic so drastically, but this is something I strongly believe in--if you, or anyone you know, are/is suffering from chronic depression, please seek help immediately.

[Hominid]

Thanks Rev. Al...   With the help of people like you, perhaps depression can be de-stigmatized.

[Reverend Al]

Thanks Rev. Al...   With the help of people like you, perhaps depression can be de-stigmatized.

Thank you.  To be honest, this is the first time I've ever really spoken openly (on this and a couple of other online forums) about my experiences with clinical depression.  I don't really know why I chose to do so, other than to say I felt compelled to after reading some of the comments about Williams' death.  It made me realize that the vast majority of the population have no understanding of what clinical depression is, how it works, and how devastating it can be, simply because they have no personal experience with it.  If anything good can come from this, hopefully it will be an overall enlightenment and realization that it is a problem that needs to be taken far more seriously.

[jgiffin]

Turns out Williams was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, too. It sounds odd but when you think of his comic persona, it kinda fits.

[jeremymbates]

I was literally watching Dead Poets Society last week. Just his speech on Carpe Diem really hits hard with everything.

"Because we are food for worms, lads. Because, believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day gonna stop breathing, turn cold, and die."

It really puts our mortality into perspective and it enforces our "take it easy" motto as well. I've found that with Dudeism it's hard for me to have a sad or depressed outlook on life because we only have this one and we just have to make the most of it and enjoy every single second.

Let the binge-watching of all things Williams begin.

[Reverend Al]

Turns out Williams was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, too. It sounds odd but when you think of his comic persona, it kinda fits.

Actually, he was experiencing the early stages of Parkinson's Disease, not Alzheimer's Disease.

One of the causes of clinical depression is a dysfunction of the dopamine delivery/receptor system in the human brain.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and is strongly associated with the "reward system" of the brain--eat one of your favorite foods, hug someone you love, have sex, or what have you, and dopamine is released and your brain tells you you're happy.  But if there's a problem with a person's dopamine delivery/receptor system, that person doesn't feel pleasure regardless of the stimuli.  No pleasure equals no joy, no happiness, no enjoyment of anything, which leads to depression because the person is left feeling nothing but negative emotions and sensations (if they're able to feel anything at all, that is).  Dopamine also affects your brain in other ways; it aids in cognitive function (perception, comprehension, thinking, reasoning, and memory), mental clarity, and motivation, so a lack of dopamine results in a drastic decrease in those functions.

I mention this because there is also a link between dysfunction of the dopamine delivery/receptor system and Parkinson's Disease.  Remember, dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and Parkinson's Disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.  So the facts that Williams suffered from both clinical depression and Parkinson's Disease makes even more sense from a biological standpoint.

[jgiffin]

Yep, Parkinson's - not Alzheimer's. Sorry for the bad info. Can't recall if the first reports I heard were wrong or if I juxtaposed the two (maybe a subconscious connection to Williams' movie, Awakenings, which involved Parkinson's though not as the catatonic condition central to the plot).

Sounds like you know something of the underlying pathology, Rev Al. Do you know whether long-term use of drugs like cocaine which also impact dopamine reception - at least acutely - predispose users to Parkinson's or other neurological disorders later in life? Williams' drug problems are pretty well known. I'm not taking an anti-drug stance here, just curious whether the pieces fit together.

[Reverend Al]

...Sounds like you know something of the underlying pathology, Rev Al. Do you know whether long-term use of drugs like cocaine which also impact dopamine reception - at least acutely - predispose users to Parkinson's or other neurological disorders later in life? Williams' drug problems are pretty well known. I'm not taking an anti-drug stance here, just curious whether the pieces fit together.

I actually know very little about the underlying pathology of clinical depression.  To be honest, I never did any research until Williams' death was announced and I started discussing my experiences with clinical depression on forums like this because I wanted to have a few facts to support my observations and conclusions, so the little knowledge I have was/is directly related in some way to whichever aspect of clinical depression was being discussed at any given moment.

That said, as I understand it studies have shown that drugs like cocaine and amphetamines can temporarily increase dopamine levels in some people, but long-term use can desensitize dopamine receptors (commonly known as "building up a tolerance") by preventing the dopamine from binding to those receptors.  Without researching it further I can't say definitively that long-term cocaine use can lead to Parkinson's Disease.  But considering long-term cocaine use can cause dysfunction of the dopamine system, and dysfunction of the dopamine system can cause Parkinson's Disease, I'd say it's reasonable to assume it can happen.

I do know that a lot of people who suffer from clinical depression also have a history of substance abuse; it seems to be an effort to "self medicate" in an attempt to make themselves feel better (or feel pleasure of any kind).  "I feel like shit, but [insert drug of choice] has made me feel good in the past, so I'll try that."  But when that doesn't work the person usually spirals further down the drain with an addiction on top of the depression.

By the way, except for cigarettes and Diet Coke (the kind that flows, not the kind for the nose) I don't have a personal history of substance abuse.  I've had a few beers/alcoholic drinks and smoked a few joints in my 53 years on this rock, but neither were ever a regular habit and I've always been able to say, "No, I've had enough, thanks."  Come to think of it, I don't think I've had a Caucasian in over a year; I might have to remedy that soon.