Believe it or not, it’s already been two years since Robin Williams’ tragic death and now his daughter Zelda is speaking out on how she’s been coping with the loss.
In an interview with Chelsea Handler, she reveals that she took things one day at a time and spent a lot of her time behind closed doors, which led to some positive things. “For a while, I kind of was just left to my own devices and a lot of great stuff came out of that,” she said. “I ended up writing 12 scripts, which was great, but also then you’re like, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ And, also, I didn’t see daylight for a while.”
Robin took his own life on Aug. 11, 2014 and the shocking event sparked a national conversation about mental health. Last year, Zelda posted a poignant message about depression on her Instagram, writing, “Avoiding fear, sadness or anger is not the same thing as being happy. I live my sadness every day, but I don’t resent it anymore. Instead, I do it now so that the wonderful moments of joy I do find are not in order to forget, but to inhabit and enjoy for their own sake. It’s not easy. In fact, I’d say it takes much more effort to consciously do than it does to just stay sad, but with all my heart, I cannot tell you how worth it it is.”
She then took the time to address those suffering from depression, adding that “I know how dark and endless that tunnel can feel, but if happiness seems impossible to find, please hold on to the possibility of hope, faint though it may be. Because I promise you, there’re enough nights under the same yellow moon for all of us to share, no matter how or when you find your way there.”
I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to see someone so open about this. Sometimes, we like to act as though people with any sort of mental illness are outliers, that they’re not normal and therefore should be swept under the rug. But this is a real issue that affects millions of Americans. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults over the age 18 suffer from anxiety disorders, the most common mental illness, but only a third of them receive treatment.
Perhaps if we kept talking about this and continued to chip away at the stigma, more people will reach out for the help that they need. A gal can dream, right?
(via YouTube, image via Screencap)
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