Suicides Now More Common than Automobile Accident Deaths

[LloydS of New London]

Oscar-winner, actor, comedian and all-round beloved individual Robin Williams died on Monday at age 63 in an apparent suicide. The outpouring of grief went beyond the norm for celebrity deaths—largely because Williams, who had spent stints in rehab for drug addiction, was a comic genius who transcended genre, generation and medium while managing to reach out to and delight almost everyone in some form, tackling tough issues along the way.

His low-brow goofing around as Mork kicked off a slapstick career involving mimicry and pantomime. He brought comic relief to the Vietnam War in Good Morning, Vietnam and to the heartbreak of divorce in Mrs. Doubtfire. He won an Oscar playing a therapist in Good Will Hunting and appealed to everyone’s inner literary idealist in Dead Poets Society. That last film, however, dealt with the unspeakable. In it, one of the main characters took his own life; 25 years later, so would the male lead.

Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider, said the following in her statement to the press:

“On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.”

Part of the unfortunate truth, however, is that often the only time people will talk about suicide is when a major public figure takes his or her own life. And here’s one of the most startling facts of all: In America, you’re more likely to have your friends die at their own hands than in something as seemingly common as a car crash.

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/health-culture/robin-williams/

1: There's a graph at the link illustrating this, but my HTML skills are insufficient to copy and paste it here.

2: I wonder how many veterans have contributed to this increase?