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On August 11, 2014, people were rocked through the news that Robin Williams had committed suicide by asphyxiation. He hung himself according to one CNN article. For a lot of, the shock was too confusing. Williams helped the world through his stage performances, shows, and films. He did charity work, entertained the troops, and spread laughter to a lot of. His sudden suicide hurt many.
A Huffington Post report included a written statement from Susan Schneider, Williams’ wife, who distributed to the general public that Williams suffered from depression, anxiety, coupled with recently been diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease. Schneider explained that her husband was not yet ready to share his diagnosis with the world.
MedLine Plus, a service from the National Institutes of Health, defines Parkinson’s like a kind of movement disorder which occurs when nerve cells within the brain don’t produce enough dopamine. It may be genetic or environmental. Symptoms have gradual development and include the following:
? Trembling of hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face
? Stiffness from the arms, legs, and trunk
? Slowness of movement
? Poor balance and coordination
Parkinson’s not only affects the brain and motor skills, it most surely has an effect on a person’s emotional and mental health. Actually, a recent study conducted by Northwestern University investigators has found that depression isn’t just a typical characteristic of Parkinson’s Disease, but additionally often goes untreated in lots of patients. This, perhaps, could provide more understanding of Robin Williams’ suicide because he suffered from depression and had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
The Northwestern investigators “looked at records in excess of 7,000 people with Parkinson’s disease. Among those rich in amounts of depressive symptoms, only one-third have been prescribed antidepressants prior to the study began, as well as fewer saw social workers or mental health professionals for counseling-The investigators then focused their analysis around the remaining two-thirds of patients with depressive symptoms who were not undergoing treatment at the beginning of the research. Within a year of observation, less than 10 % of them received prescriptions for antidepressants or referrals to counseling. Physicians were probably to recognize depression and advocate treatment for patients using the severest depression scores.”
Depression in itself includes a great impact on one’s well-being and decision making; however, pair by using Parkinson’s and a lack of strategy to the depression, and also the patient has a formula for tragedy. The signs of depression warrant attention, particularly in people who suffer from other diagnoses. The National Institutes of Mental Health list the next as signs and symptoms of depression:
? Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
? Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
? Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
? Lack of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
? Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”
? Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
? Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
? Appetite and/or weight changes
? Thoughts of death or suicide
? Suicide attempts
? Restlessness, irritability
? Persistent physical symptoms
Anyone can easily see, depression isn’t just “feeling blue.” These symptoms are devastating for those who suffer. Furthermore, compound any one or any mixture of the signs and symptoms of depression with something similar to Parkinson’s and tragedy can strike, especially if the depression goes untreated. As Northwestern identified in its study, nearly all patients identified as having Parkinson’s had depression that went untreated.
As Dr. Danny Bega, the very first author of the study place it, “Physicians must be more vigilant about screening patients for depression included in a routine assessment of Parkinson’s disease, and the effectiveness of various treatments for depression in this population have to be assessed.” To save future people in the sad fate that Robin Williams chose, we must be more vigilant and conscious of our family members with depression and Parkinson’s Disease.
The entire study is published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
