Celebrity Health

Comedians Who Have Openly Struggled with Depression

Robin Williams

Robin Williams’ devastating suicide in 2014 shocked and saddened the world.

In May of 2014, just three months before his death, Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Understandably, this troubling diagnosis caught Williams off guard and caused him a great deal of distress.

After Williams’ death, when an autopsy was conducted, it was revealed that he might have been misdiagnosed. The autopsy showed that he actually had a condition called Lewy body dementia.The same protein that causes Lewy body dementia is also involved in Parkinson’s disease, so the disorders can present similarly and are sometimes difficult to distinguish.

Lewy body dementia is an aggressive, incurable brain disorder that causes a progressive decline in cognitive function. People afflicted with Lewy body dementia experience distressing, debilitating symptoms including: sleep disorders; drowsiness; reduced attention span; disorganized speech; confusion; depression; hallucinations; apathy; dizziness and falls; memory loss; tremors; slowed movement; and muscle rigidity.

Symptoms only worsen with time. As the disease progresses, patients develop severe dementia, depression, aggressive behavior, a greater risk of injuries and falls, worsening tremors and muscle rigidity, and ultimately, death.

In the months leading up to his death, Williams could tell that he was literally losing his mind. It was a terrifying and overwhelming situation. He became intensely paranoid and was too confused to remember his lines while filming. As the disease progressed, he developed severe anxiety, tremors, and difficulty reasoning. The symptoms began about one year before his death and worsened over time. For months, Williams struggled to find a diagnosis and treatment for his condition.

Williams’ decline was heart-wrenching. During the filming of Night at the Museum 3 in the spring of 2014, Williams suffered panic attacks and struggled to recall even a single line. Just three years earlier, he had flawlessly memorized and delivered hundreds of lines while performing on Broadway. Williams’ widow, Susan Williams, recalls feeling utterly powerless; one minute, her husband would be lucid and thinking clearly, and the next minute he would be “blank, lost in confusion.”

Ultimately, Williams took his own life after an agonizing battle with Lewy body dementia and depression.

Williams wasn't the only comedian who suffered from depression. There are others, and some who are still struggling with it today. Read on to learn more.

Photo source: Robin Williams Zelda video game by Selena Hayek

Sarah Silverman

Comedienne and actress Sarah Silverman had her first experience with depression at age 13. She had just returned from a miserable school camping trip. She was a bed wetter, so she had to carry diapers in her sleeping bag—it was a humiliating secret. She felt something inside her shift, and for the next three years, she just wasn’t the same.

Her entire mindset changed; she was no longer the class clown, because she could no longer see the world in the same light. She started isolating herself from her friends and skipping school. She also began experiencing frightening panic attacks.

Silverman sought treatment for her depression and went through several therapists. Tragically and ironically, her first therapist ended up committing suicide. Her second therapist started overprescribing prescription medication; at one time, he reportedly had her taking Xanax four times a day.

Not surprisingly, the excessive medication made her feel like a zombie. Although Xanax can be helpful for treating severe anxiety and panic disorder, it’s also highly addictive and can be dangerous, even when taken as prescribed.

A few years later, Silverman started seeing a new psychiatrist, who helped her wean off her medication over a six-month period. Silverman recalls she finally felt like herself again after discontinuing the medication.

For the next six years, her depression seemed to enter remission. She attended New York University, then got a job as a writer and performer for Saturday Night Live at age 22. Though, one night, her depression came back, seemingly out of the blue. She was devastated, as she had hoped her depression and panic attacks were behind her.

Silverman saw a psychiatrist who prescribed Klonopin, a benzodiazepine similar to Xanax, to help control her panic attacks. According to Silverman, the medication literally saved her life. Though she was eventually able to wean off the Klonopin, she still carries a few tablets with her just in case a panic attack strikes.

Depression is still part of her life, but she tries to manage it to the best of her ability. She takes a small dose of Zoloft, an SSRI used to treat depression and anxiety, and she sees a therapist regularly to keep her mental health under control.

Silverman wants others struggling with depression to know that the dark times eventually pass, and that makes the good times even sweeter.

Photo source: Sarah Silverman by Gage Skidmore

Larry David

Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David is known for his dry, cutting humor. He and Jerry Seinfeld co-created Seinfeld, and David worked as the iconic television show’s executive producer and head writer. Many people argue Seinfeld is the greatest sitcom ever made, and the ‘90s sensation wouldn’t exist without Larry David.

David developed depression in the 1970s while serving in the National Guard. He couldn’t afford to see a psychiatrist. He was unemployed and living with his parents. However, comedy helped him get out of that rut. He started doing standup comedy, and eventually was hired as a writer for Friday’s and Saturday Night Live.

Although David has been living with depression for decades, he’s managed to lead a remarkably successful career despite his mental illness.

Photo source: Wikipedia

Jim Carrey

Accomplished comedic actor Jim Carrey has endured a long and difficult journey with depression. For years, the successful comedian privately suffered from mood swings, anger, and feelings of deep despair.

For a time, Carrey tried taking Prozac to relieve his depression, but he didn’t find the medication particularly helpful. He said taking it helped somewhat for a brief period, but it certainly didn’t “cure” his condition. He's right. Although antidepressants like Prozac can help people with depression manage their illness, medication is by no means a magical, overnight fix.

Carrey realized he needed to get to the root of his condition and understand the source of his emotions. In his view, Prozac was numbing him to his emotions, and he felt it was important to explore those feelings instead of trying to stifle them.

As Carrey has stated, no matter who you are, we’re all human, and that means we’re all vulnerable to issues like mental illness. Carrey has learned to live with depression by steering clear of alcohol and drugs, exploring his spirituality, and adapting his perception of life.

Photo source: Jim Carrey by John Bakharev