Your table is ready.

No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.
- Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society

Today we are all saddened by the death of a man most of us grew up watching on TV and in movies. A man who brought happiness to millions of people. A comic genius. It's hard to imagine that someone with so much success, who made so many of us laugh over and over again, also had demons. Robin Williams fought addiction and depression. People are already saying things like, "What a selfish thing to do" about his apparent suicide. Honestly, I've had that thought before too. But the reality is that when someone is depressed -- truly, clinically depressed -- they are not able to think about it that way. In their minds, it's like they're doing their loved ones a favor. That sounds completely backwards to us. But it's true. None of us will ever really know what he was thinking, of course. But I'm certain he wasn't thinking about how deeply his death has affected an entire generation...actually several generations of people. I'm certain he had no idea how much we all loved him.

Along with being sad about Williams' loss, I'm also angry. In this society we live in, there's still a stigma about mental health care. Depression is like cancer. It does not discriminate. Having success and money might help, only because you might have access to mental health care facilities that others don't. But depression is wicked. And if you seek help for depression, there are people who still look down their noses at you, that pass judgement on you. So I say let's start NOW by trying to use words and ideas to change the world. Let's change the way society looks at mental illness. Let's look at this illness like any other illness - diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. There is help available. And it is ok to ask for help. And if someone asks you for help, help them. Do not judge them, do not treat them with kid gloves. Help them get treatment, like you would if they had any other illness.

RIP, Robin Williams. Your table is ready. 
Death is nature’s way of saying, ‘your table is ready.’ ~Robin Williams

If you are someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.