Disgusted With Twitter Abuse On Robin Williams

[gordiescotland1]

I have been disgusted with the abuse that some people have put on twitter about Robin Williams particualary about suicide being weak and selfish. How can people be so callous? And what I really want to know is why in 2014 is there a stigma about depression and suicide?

[RATTER15]

I can well understand that Sqad, but I will add that, the people that are attracted to psychiatric work from counselling to psychiatric nursing often have issues of their own that attracted them into that profession in the first place. In the course of my work, I have noticed that many people in those professions are often walking a tight wire or have rather odd tendencies.

That is not to say they don't deserve the utmost of respect for their work

Just an observation.

[boxtops]

Following sqad's post - dentists are said to have the highest suicide rate of all (I heard this before, but confirmed in this 2010 article of who is most likely to do this http://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-commit-suicide-2010-10?op=1) . It must be horrible to have a job where most of your patients dread coming to see you.

[Sqad]

RATTER......I agree entirely.^^^^

[emmie]

they are no marks who wouldn't know the difference between depression, and a hole in the wall, saddest news i have heard for years, my all time hero

[emmie]

there is still huge stigma over mental health, tell your prospective employer you were in a hospital for a mental health issue and see how far you get.

[ToraToraTora]

Royfromaus:"I wonder how many Grannies using Facebook to keep in touch with their grandchildren on the other side of the world will read that and think... " - they have skype, email, phone etc why would they use a public cesspit to talk to their grand kids?

[jno]

most sufferers can't even get treatment

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/13/two-thirds-britons-not-treated-depression

[emmie]

the waiting list for any mental health issue unless you can afford private treatment is very long, many people fall through the net of mental health because they don't show obvious signs of illness often till its too late.
have been in this situation but have seen it with friends met through these places, most are lifelong sufferers.

[Retrochic]

If you frequent public social media such as Twitter then you have to be prepared to come across opinions that are not necessarily your own. Some people genuinely think taking your own life is the most selfish thing you can do and although a successful suicide rarely involves rational thought, some people fail to understand this, and their attitude comes over as 'Callous'.

[ummmm]

Retro...I believe his daughter has had to close her twitter account because she was receiving abuse.

[Retrochic]

Ummmmm that's horrible and incomprehensible. My reply was to the OP who I assumed was offended by peoples opinions on suicide, directed at Robin Williams. For people to actually aim these comments directly at the family is disgusting.

[Old_Geezer]

Yes, dentists are always looking down in the mouth :-(

[ummmm]

Yep....just vile people

http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/498768/Robin-Williams-children-lead-tributes

[sandyRoe]

Was it a reporter on Fox news set the ball rolling with the 'weak and selfish' comments?

[ummmm]

Don't know but the same opinion has been expressed on here.

[Boru62]

Ignorant people never cease to amaze me, their insensitivity reaches new depths at times like this.

On the other hand, maybe it's just an angry knee-jerk acknowledgement of the loss of a comedic genius.

[joko]

the thing is, almost by definition, to be selfish, is to do something that suits yourself but without any proper thought or care for other people.
suicide is an act done by one person, who has not truly considered and thought through the effect it will have on their family and friends - they have decided to do something destructive and they followed it through.
they may have thought about the effects, but it is a skewed conclusion they come to, which is what i mean by 'proper' - which is a symtom of the illness

the fact that the depressive person does not consider it selfish, and cannot comprehend the pain it will cause, is in itself, selfish ...

that said, i dont think a depressed person can be really called selfish in the usual sense of the word, or be blamed for being selfish in this circumstance - thats what depression does to people - it makes them insular, they retreat inside thmselves, find it hard to relate, hard to think logically and about things from other points of view, become self absorbed - they only see their own side - but that is not their fault, they are ill.

so i understand why people view it as selfish - it kind of is - but not in the negative way selfishness is often perceived. it is not the same kind of general day to day selfishness that most people experience.