Fans of American actor Robin Williams have learned the sad news of his disappearance, Monday, August 11. The outstanding improviser killed himself by hanging in his home in California, United States. He never hid his problems with the alcohol and drugs he used to fight a severe form of depression and keep up with his work pace.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression worldwide. Robin Williams is therefore one of the actors whose extreme sensitivity has allowed him to play complex roles in his film career, but who has also played on his mental health.
“Artists are often more sensitive people, feeling emotions more strongly. This generally makes for writers, poets, musicians, high quality actors, but behind beings who are often anxious, depressed, anxious, bipolar, “says Professor Michel Reynaud, head of the psychiatry and addictology department at the Paul Brousse hotel in Villejuif near Paris, interviewed by theAFP.
Same circuits for creativity and mental illness
Since alcohol and drugs circulate easily in the world of show business, the risks of falling into addiction are much higher than in other circles. The pressure to succeed and a kind of narcissistic exaltation are also factors to take into account, adds the specialist. According to Professor Vikram Patel, director of the UK Center for Global Mental Health, also quoted by AFP, “the brain circuits that drive creativity are the same as those in mental illness, so being creative can increase the risk of mental illness.”
Other professions, such as that of broker, would be particularly exposed to depression because of the high pressure and a certain disruption of the way of life which leads to isolation.