September 4, 2014
Blurb
Recently, the actor and comedian Robin Williams died by suicide, and this shocked and saddened the country. He has been mourned as a head of state or iconic national figure would be mourned, which is fitting, given his widespread fame and the way he was loved, admired, and respected by so many people. In the wake of his death and all of the media attention and commentary that it has garnered, and the many views that have been expressed, I want to share some thoughts with you about this.
One thing that has been said repeatedly is that Robin Williams "struggled with demons." This really burns me up. The use of that term, "struggled with demons," which is nothing more than a misguided colloquialism, is a throwback to the days when mental illness was regarded as some kind of supernatural phenomenon, when someone was said to be possessed or was somehow subverted by the devil or supernatural forces.
Read more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/830614
One thing that has been said repeatedly is that Robin Williams "struggled with demons." This really burns me up. The use of that term, "struggled with demons," which is nothing more than a misguided colloquialism, is a throwback to the days when mental illness was regarded as some kind of supernatural phenomenon, when someone was said to be possessed or was somehow subverted by the devil or supernatural forces.
Read more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/830614