by William Torres, staff reporter
As more people begin to talk about the death of comedian and actor, Robin Williams, the more they talk about the cause of it and what depression actually is. Depression is a very controversial topic that is being talked about more because of the rise of it in the United States and with the recent death of Robin Williams.
Everyone is vulnerable to any type of mental health problem in the right circumstances, depression can strike anyone at anytime, it affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, mood and feelings.
According to the Anxiety And Depression Association of America each year five to 8% of the adult population in the United States face depression. Without the proper help or treatment, the severity and symptoms increase over time. As of right now, it’s the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.
Half of the time people can’t tell if someone has depression or not depending on how well they can hide it and fake their feelings and moods.
Robin Williams’ passing not only gave some people an opportunity to speak up about their own struggles with depression but also got people thinking about how serious it could be and if they should seek help.
When people say that Robin Williams committed suicide, it gives an impression that it was his choice to make. When someone is depressed, they aren’t in a right state of mind which clouds their ability to make the correct choices. Depression isn’t something that one chooses to have, it’s an illness that takes time to heal through the correct treatment.
Everyone has their inner demons that they deal with, and Williams had been speaking about his personal battles with depression in the years following up to his death on August 11th.
”Depression is a serious problem that needs to be pointed out to teens today. Robin Williams death was very unfortunate, he was very talented and I feel bad that the world couldn’t help him through his problems” junior Alyssa Striano said.
People facing depression are often afraid to seek help because in this society, they could be seen as an outcast. This reflects on the people who have the ability to help them or just do anything that could potentially save their life.
”Robin Williams was an amazing actor and I will miss him, I’m sad because of his death and the fact that I wont be able to see anything of his new work anymore. He helped me get through a rough patch in my life,” junior Joshua Cantero said .
Robin Williams may have died from depression but his comedic talents will always make people smile for generations to come, and sheds light on how serious depression can actually be.
