Robin Williams - Research Paper PDF

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1- Who this person is? Why is this person extraordinary? Why are you interested in this person? Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago. He was the greatgreat-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin, was a former model from Mississippi and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford Motor Company executive from Indiana. Williams was an American actor and comedian. He committed suicide in 2014 in his home in California, at the age of 63. Robin Williams was an extraordinary person because he proved himself to be an effective dramatic actor, receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Good Will Hunting (1997). Robin Williams is a one of my favorite actors and was a childhood hero for his roles in Aladding (1992), and Jumanji (1995) (“Robin Wiliiams,” n.d.). 2- What was this person’s DSM diagnosis or posthumous diagnosis? What are some symptoms that this person experienced that reflect their mental disorder? Williams suffered from severe depression and struggled with dementia with Lewy Bodies, sometimes known as Lewy Body dementia. Before his death, Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson’s like symptoms which triggered his anxiety and restlessness (Tohid, 2016). Dementia with Lewy Bodies is not as common or well known as depression, or the more familiar forms of dementia, most obviously Alzheimer’s disease. According to Burnett (2015), “Lew Bodies are lumps, known as aggregates of misshapen protein (of the type Alpha-synuclein) that occur in nerve cells (neurons) of people with certain conditions, most often Parkinson’s disease, and but also (obviously) dementia with Lewy bodies” (Para. 6).Although there are many general features that can be diagnosed as symptoms of dementia with the Lewy Bodies such as sleep disruption, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, and depression, the three core symptoms are: wildly varying levels of mental ability and thinking, hallucinations, spontaneous motor features of Parkinsonism. Williams used to be addicted to cocaine in his thirties but finally quit after a friend’s death which then led him to a major depression (Burnett, 2015). He also went through several dramatic events that aggravated and triggered his depression. These events included alcohol related problems, fighting through two divorces, and having major financial problems that led to him selling the house that he had owned for more than ten years. After Robins’ death, his wife Susan Williams revealed that Williams suffered from anxiety and sleep talking which forced him to sleep in a different room from his wife. This further aggravated his pre-existing depressive symptoms (Tohid, 2016). She also added that his pre-suicide activities included placing wrist watches in a sock and dropping them off to keep them safe, which she believed was a sign that Robin was having hallucinations. The combination of his severe depression and psychosis at the same time were most likely the risks that led him to commit suicide (Tohid, 2016). 3-What are the possible origins/etiology/prognosis of this person’s mental disorder? Dementia with the Lewy Bodies is not a well-known type of dementia because it is hard to pin down or classify. The symptoms of this disorder overlap with other diseases, and the mental states of the people who are diagnosed with it are severely compromised. It is hard to get consistent or reliable reports from them. The biological cause of dementia with Lowy Bodies is when clumps of protein begin forming inside brain cells, Lowy Bodies, and they build up in areas that are responsible for daily functions such as thinking, visual perception, and muscle movement. These clumps clog and disrupt the vital processes taking place within, damage the brain cells and eventually cause them to die. This type of dementia could occur in people with or without a family history of the condition (NHS, 2019).

An examination of William’s brain tissue found Lewy bodies, and his doctors believe this finding was the critical factor to his suicide. After careful examination of the life of the apparently pleasant, funny, and happy Robin Williams, was suffering from major depression, drug abuse, financial problems, and relationship problems which can be considered the prognosis of Williams DSM diagnosis (Tohid, 2016). 4- What are the treatment approaches used for this person, based on the sources you can find? If sources are not available on this, develop a brief treatment plan for this person, given their diagnosis. Although Robin Williams was known for his boundless energy, comedy, and extraordinary theatrical range, he spent four decades of his career battling with addiction and poor mental health. He checked himself into a rehabilitation center in an effort to focus on his commitment to sobriety and tackle his mental issues. However, Robin Williams struggled with a dual diagnosis: addiction and psychological disorders, so he was required to participate in a specialized type of rehabilitation that provides concurrent treatment for both conditions. This on and off relationship with addiction created mental problems. He was losing weight and did not know why and was developing depression without realizing it (Gonzale, 2019). According to Peele’s (2014) article, Williams had been treated for severe depression from many years. He was taking apart in Hazlelden’s Lodge experience in Minnesota, which is a place where people who are living sober can come to touch their twelve-step bases. Stanton Peele stated that although Robin sought out better mental health by committing to specialized treatment and to quit drinking alcohol, his case is not the one to prove that point. After his death, his toxicology reports confirmed a therapeutic dose level of anti-depressants, caffeine, and Levodopa in his body which hold true to his commitment to his treatment. In general, there are not any drugs that can stop or reverse Lewy body dementia, but medication can help relive it’s symptoms for a few months such as Levodopa and Klonopin. Other than medications, people who are diagnosed with this type of dementia can seek physical therapy and psychotherapy to help them find ways to handle their emotions. 5- What is your critique and/or personal reflection about factors that contribute to this person’s diagnosis and treatment approaches? In conclusion, I believe that William’s mental illness could be rooted to his thirties when he was addicted to cocaine. During that time, he developed psychological addictions which usually lead to depression. Adding to all of this, his alcohol addiction aggravated his depression which caused him to have worse mental illness symptoms. His social life was not perfect since he battled two divorce cases that cost him more than ten million dollars which I am sure that led to an extremely hard time for him financially. Finally, he was diagnosed with LBD. All of these factors are considered risk factors which lead the iconic comedian to commit suicide. He checked himself into rehab three times, sought out treatment for his depression by taking medications, and committed to psychological therapy. At the end, drugs nor alcohol were directly involved in his death. I think William’s case is a reminder that mental illness can effect anyone, even those people who appear happy.

Reference:

Robin Williams-biography. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm Tohid, H. (2016, March 26). Robin Williams' suicide: a case study. Scielo. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2237-60892016000300178 Burnett, D. (2015, November 4). Robin Williams,depression and dementia: the clinical picture. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/nov/04/robin-williamsdepression-and-dementia-the-clinical-picture Dementia with Lewy bodies. (2019, December 09). NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia-with-lewy-bodies/ Gonzales, M. (2019, September 26). Robin Williams' Personal Struggles Examined in new Documentary. The Recovery Vullage. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/depression/news/robin-williamsnew-documentary/#gref Peele, S. (201, August 13). Robin Williams was Treated/ In Recovery and Killed Himself. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addiction-in-society/201408/robin-williamswas-treatedin-recovery-and-killed-himself...