If Robin Williams’ Death Can’t Get America To Take Depression Seriously; Perhaps Lost Profits For Companies Will
Yesterday’s death of actor/comedian Robin Williams has brought the very real and fatal costs of mental illness and depression back into the headlines. An estimated 1 in 10 Americans suffer from some kind of chronic depression. Still the disorder is stigmatized by many and ignored by more.
Recent studies by The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control may have Americas business leaders taking notice That is because it shows how depression is also affecting their bottom line.
Pamela Knudson notes in her column today:
Depression is estimated to cause 200 million lost workdays each year at a cost to employers of $17 billion to $44 billion — 81 percent due to reduced performance while at work, the World Health Organization has reported.
As many as 8.4 hours are lost per employee per week as a result of major depression, the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates. That’s 26 lost days per year compared to 17 days for cancer.
The CDC also estimates that over 25% of adults suffering from mental illness are also dealing with substance abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that is costing the US economy $559 billion a year.
“Reality,” Robin Williams once famously quipped, “is just a crutch for people who can’t handle drugs.”
Here’s a few more quips from Robin Williams about drugs and other subjects.
Click here for reuse options!Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Eric Trommater
A liberal living in Northern Virginia. Father of Two great kids. Former sports writer and movie critic.
40 responses to If Robin Williams’ Death Can’t Get America To Take Depression Seriously; Perhaps Lost Profits For Companies Will
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Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 13:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLtPp_xIpC4
mrsgunka August 12th, 2014 at 15:24
A lot of truth in that gig!
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 13:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLtPp_xIpC4
mrsgunka August 12th, 2014 at 15:24
A lot of truth in that gig!
tiredoftea August 12th, 2014 at 14:24
We are a short attention span nation. This is why we over react to a celebrity’s untimely death. We can get our angst out without doing the hard work of helping ourselves to be healthier.
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 14:31
Thus the part of this article dealing with how depression is hitting the pocket book. That’s something America has a much longer attention span about.
tiredoftea August 12th, 2014 at 14:24
We are a short attention span nation. This is why we over react to a celebrity’s untimely death. We can get our angst out without doing the hard work of helping ourselves to be healthier.
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 14:31
Thus the part of this article dealing with how depression is hitting the pocket book. That’s something America has a much longer attention span about.
William August 12th, 2014 at 16:37
But….but…Rush says that Robin died because he was a “leftist” liberal.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/12/rush-limbaugh-robin-williams-killed-himself-because-of-a-political-leftist-attitude/
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 16:50
The twisted logic of Rush makes me depressed.
William August 12th, 2014 at 16:56
And so answers the question. Just how low will he sink to get some attention?
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 17:01
How low? That’s a bottomless and ugly pit. I mean rock bottom for him. I mean I would say blaming victims for being raped, but he already went there.
William August 12th, 2014 at 16:37
But….but…Rush says that Robin died because he was a “leftist” liberal.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/12/rush-limbaugh-robin-williams-killed-himself-because-of-a-political-leftist-attitude/
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 16:50
The twisted logic of Rush makes me depressed.
William August 12th, 2014 at 16:56
And so answers the question. Just how low will he sink to get some attention?
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 17:01
How low? That’s a bottomless and ugly pit. I mean rock bottom for him. I mean I would say blaming victims for being raped, but he already went there.
Shades August 12th, 2014 at 17:29
I’m devastated. I spent last evening watching videos of Mr. Williams performing and he appeared to be so happy and having so much fun. I can’t begin to imagine the demons he was battling.
R.J. Carter August 12th, 2014 at 17:31
I’m doing back-to-back “What Dreams May Come” and “Bicentennial Man.”
Kick Frenzy August 12th, 2014 at 20:29
Well then, I’m gonna go buy stock in Kleenex.
ChrisVosburg August 12th, 2014 at 22:39
Check out his work in “Insomnia.”
Shades August 12th, 2014 at 17:29
I’m devastated. I spent last evening watching videos of Mr. Williams performing and he appeared to be so happy and having so much fun. I can’t begin to imagine the demons he was battling.
R.J. Carter August 12th, 2014 at 17:31
I’m doing back-to-back “What Dreams May Come” and “Bicentennial Man.”
Kick Frenzy August 12th, 2014 at 20:29
Well then, I’m gonna go buy stock in Kleenex.
ChrisVosburg August 12th, 2014 at 22:39
Check out his work in “Insomnia.”
pignose4.0 August 12th, 2014 at 20:42
It would be good to know if Robin was on any of the anti-depression drugs that have suicide as a side effect.
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 21:25
Also he had heart surgery recently. There are a lot of variables.
pignose4.0 August 12th, 2014 at 23:36
true.
ChrisVosburg August 12th, 2014 at 22:35
You’re describing a correlation, not a causation.
That said, Robin suffered from depression pretty much all of his life, and self-medicated in the usual self-destructive ways. In retrospect, it’s almost surprising that a drug overdose didn’t take him long ago.
pignose4.0 August 12th, 2014 at 23:36
he made it 63 years without killing himself so something happened if he was on anti depressants it needs to be looked into.
ChrisVosburg August 12th, 2014 at 23:52
You seem to be making the assumption that this was Robin’s first experience with anti-depressant medication. Given Robin’s long history of depression, which he was not shy about sharing, I very much doubt that this is the case.
Next you’ll be telling us that analgesics cause pain, ’cause the people who take them frequently complain of pain.
Candide Thirtythree August 13th, 2014 at 04:21
That has always seemed so bizarre to me…
pignose4.0 August 12th, 2014 at 20:42
It would be good to know if Robin was on any of the anti-depression drugs that have suicide as a side effect.
Eric Trommater August 12th, 2014 at 21:25
Also he had heart surgery recently. There are a lot of variables.
pignose4.0 August 12th, 2014 at 23:36
true.
ChrisVosburg August 12th, 2014 at 22:35
You’re describing a correlation, not a causation.
That said, Robin suffered from depression pretty much all of his life, and self-medicated in the usual self-destructive ways. In retrospect, it’s almost surprising that a drug overdose didn’t take him long ago.
pignose4.0 August 12th, 2014 at 23:36
he made it 63 years without killing himself so something happened if he was on anti depressants it needs to be looked into.
ChrisVosburg August 12th, 2014 at 23:52
You seem to be making the assumption that this was Robin’s first experience with anti-depressant medication. Given Robin’s long history of depression, which he was not shy about sharing, I very much doubt that this is the case.
Next you’ll be telling us that analgesics cause pain, ’cause the people who take them frequently complain of pain.
Candide Thirtythree August 13th, 2014 at 04:21
That has always seemed so bizarre to me…
Candide Thirtythree August 13th, 2014 at 04:20
remember when he did that movie about the patients in the mental ward who all woke up for a short time? He talked about his own problems with mental illness a lot around that time, he knew there was no cure and that the treatments and study of mental illness were being stopped by lobbyists for the insurance companies and the corrupt republicans they have in their pockets.
Candide Thirtythree August 13th, 2014 at 04:20
remember when he did that movie about the patients in the mental ward who all woke up for a short time? He talked about his own problems with mental illness a lot around that time, he knew there was no cure and that the treatments and study of mental illness were being stopped by lobbyists for the insurance companies and the corrupt republicans they have in their pockets.