Mourning Robin Williams....

Here is what we always do.  Someone dies.  And we talk about it.  People ask why he didn't reach out.  They talk about his history of substance abuse and depression.  He is celebrated as a genius.  We tell each other about how much we will miss him.  Some even talk about the complexities of living with mental illness and addiction.  And in a week...maybe two...a new story will emerge.  And we will probably stop talking.

My point?  Coming up with solutions is work.  We have to address stigma.  We have to understand that mental illness has a biochemical component.  We have to work through our lack of understanding. We have to suspend judgement.  We have to listen to the voices talking about their experiences with mental illness and substance abuse.  We have to be open.  You see, the discussion isn't just about Robin Williams.  And it is all about Robin Williams.  He is us.  We get it.  We understand why it could reach the point of all being too much.  We fear it will someday be that way for us.

A friend on social media posted that she wants to find her compassion.  I think that there are many out there that need to do that.  Mourning the loss of  Robin Williams?  Honor him today by looking for your compassion.  Use it to listen and learn.  Use it to advocate for greater understanding.  Use it to reach out to someone living with mental illness.  Don't let the death of Robin Williams mean nothing but a crisis of the day...let it lead to actual change.  I suspect that Robin would love that.