In the days leading up to his death, Robin Williams was said to be “very drawn and thin” and appeared just a “shell” of his usually bright bubbly self, a neighbor of the late actor told the MailOnline.
He was also said to have been under tremendous financial pressures and admitted he was selling a $35million estate in Napa because he could no longer afford it.
What lead Robin Williams to take his own life Sunday night may never been known as Marin County Assistant Deputy Chief Coroner Lt. Keith Boyd would not confirm or deny whether Williams left behind a letter, saying that investigators would discuss “the note or a note” later.
But what is now known is the 63-year-old Williams was last seen alive about 10.30pm on Sunday by his third wife Susan Schneider when she went to bed. He then locked himself in a different bedroom, Boyd said Tuesday afternoon.
His wife left the home at about 10:30 a.m. Monday to run errands, believing Williams to still be asleep.
However, Williams’ personal assistant became concerned when he wasn’t responding to knocks on his door, entered the room and found him dead at about 11:45 a.m., Boyd said, adding rigor mortis had set in by the time first responders arrived.
The personal assistant found Williams “clothed in a seated position, unresponsive, and with a belt secured around his neck with the other end of the belt wedged between the closed closet door and door frame,” Boyd revealed.
Additionally, there were cuts on his left wrist and a pocket knife found near the body indicating he possibly tried another method of suicide before using the belt.
Toxicology tests will determine if Williams had any drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of death.
The Oscar-winner had struggled with sobriety and depression and made at least two trips to rehab for treatment, including a visit this summer. Williams had been seeking treatment for depression, Boyd also revealed.
And his publicist also confirmed the Good Will Hunting star had been struggling recently. “He has been battling severe depression of late,” Williams’ media representative, Mara Buxbaum, told CNN on Monday. “This is a tragic and sudden loss.”
Dr. Akikur Mohammad, M.D, a board-certified psychiatrist with a speciality in addiction medicine and the founder and medical director of Inspire Malibu, says that perhaps Williams needed even more professional help.
Dr. Akikur Mohammad tells CelebZter: “The tragic death of Robin Williams is another stark reminder of how even the most talented, and privileged, people cannot escape the grasp of alcohol or drug addiction without evidence-based medicine under the supervision of trained medical personnel. The issue here isn’t that Mr. Williams relapsed. Most addicts do, and it has nothing to do with a moral failing or lack of willpower. It’s the nature of the disease. Rather, we should be questioning why he did not get the help that was available and that he desperately needed.
“From what has been reported by the media, and from his own earlier public admissions, Mr. Williams also suffered from depression, in addition to a substance abuse addiction. That’s not unusual. About half of all addicts are diagnosed with a Dual Disorder, meaning a substance abuse disorder and a mental health issue, and by far the most prevalent mental issue with addicts is depression.
“The best outcomes for addicts with a Dual Disorder are achieved with a comprehensive program that combines individual therapy or group therapy along with evidence-based medication. Treatment that simply relies on abstinence, especially in the case of someone like Mr. Williams who had relapsed repeatedly, not only contradicts medical science but is dangerous.”
That danger is sadly evident with the loss of such a formidable talent as Williams, whose body of work will long be cherished.
The actor’s passing is so sad considering how much happiness he brought to others
