Robin Williams battled personal demons.
This was no secret among his family, friends and people in Hollywood. Williams struggled with drinking addiction, drug addiction and a fight against depression that he sadly lost. But if there’s one bright spot to this tragedy it’s that people are becoming aware of just how crippling of a disease depression can be.
William’s story should be a wake up call to anyone out there suffering silently from depression and those closest to that person. This national story is forcing people to take action.
That action, however, should not involve cream to the face.
It’s far to common today to turn every cause into a “challenge” or call to pull a stupid stunt to make others aware of an issue. In this case, people are asked to “honor the late Robin Williams and show your support and say ‘Hello!’ to suicide prevention by wearing a Doubtfire Face.”
The Doubtfire Face is not much different than the suddenly popular “ice bucket challenge” where people dump ice cold water on themselves and challenge others to do the same in an effort to raise money for ALS. Admittedly, the stunt has raised significant donations for ALS, but how about skipping the ice and water and just dropping money in the bucket and challenging friends to do the same?
There is nothing funny about depression. There’s nothing funny about suicide. This isn’t a joke. Don’t join this Doubtfire face movement or anything like this movement. Instead of putting whipped cream on your face and shooting an unfunny video, donate your time to a suicide prevention line. Help people unable to help themselves.
For more about the signs of depression, check out this website. For more information about suicide prevention, click here.
Say something now. Ask questions now. Do something now before it’s too late.