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Almost everyone knows Robin Williams committed suicide. Very few know why. He had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. The disease is basically a combination of Alzheimers and Parkinson's. There is no cure, no predicting it, no real treatment, and is 100% terminal.

Robin Williams didn't commit suicide, he was saving himself and his family from months of misery and sadness. "Robin's Wish" details his struggle and hopefully helps bring light to this mystery disease that is relatively unknown.

After my aunt and uncle passed away at 64 & 68, my dad said if he was diagnosed with it, he'd ski off a cliff. It's brutal to watch in person: the anxiety, the panic, the confusion, the shaking, the insomnia, the restlessness, and eventually the denial and complete bodily/brain shutdown.

My dad just started showing symptoms in late January, right around his 71st birthday. He was still a practicing land & water attorney, he skied over 20 days last year before COVID lockdowns (almost all double-black mogul runs), he worked out a lot, he and my mother had trips to Italy and Alaska planned... and it all came crashing down within weeks. His case was one of the fastest doctors had ever seen, which was a blessing in the long run since I've already been through this twice and seen the brutality.

I don't need sympathy but want to use my dad and Robin Williams' cases to bring attention to a disease that is not widely known and even less understood. I also want to reiterate that mental disease/dementia is an actual disease, not a "funk" or "state of mind". Give your family a hug and tell them you love them every chance you get. Thanks, imgur community - you've given me some much-needed smiles while sitting in the hospital for the last 2 weeks.

TL:DR. Robin Williams committed suicide because he had Lewy Body Dementia - it's terminal. My father would have done the same. 3rd go-round of this in my family. F--k mental disease.