Theyremember him as not a man but a comedic genius. They remember him not as acommoner but as a God. From his big break in Happy Days to his season long role as an advertising executive inthe show The Crazy Ones, RobinWilliams was a man everybody knew and loved. Those close to him basked in his aura of laughter, lightheartedness and love. To all, he was awarm and self-satisfied man who loved his family and excelled at his work.

Therefore,when news came out over the weekend that the great comedian and actor RobinWilliams had apparently committed suicide due to depression, the world was bothshocked and deeply saddened.

No one had any idea that his story could ever beakin to that of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s Richard Cory, who was quite easilythe town’s most liked man. Cory was rich, polite and handsome: everything thatanyone could ever ask for. He looked and acted happy, until one day he wenthome and shot himself in the head.

Williams’death is not only a great loss, but also an exhibit of what happens to millionsof people on a daily basis. Clinical depression is one of the world’s fastestspreading conditions in the world, with over forty million cases reported eachyear in the United States alone and claiming over one million lives worldwidethrough suicide. It throws light on the crying need the world has ofexceptional support systems for people battling with depression, for whomliving day to day is a challenge in itself.

It might manifest in various waysthat include but are not limited to violence, anti-social tendencies, drinking,drugs, smoking and so on. But really all a patient needs is good care and asound, constant support system to keep them going. Williams might have beenunlucky, but there are millions who might be saved if depression is addressedas a concern and not dismissed as a hissy fit.

 When dazzling comedic geniuses bend before its will, who's to say we won't? 

"Addiction waits. It lays in wait for the time when you think, 'It's fine now, I'm OK.'Then, the next thing you know, it's not OK.”

—RobinWilliams on Good Morning America, 2006