Robin Williams Had Early Stage Parkinson's Disease, Wife Reveals

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Robin Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease before he committed suicide this week, and he was sober at the time of his death, his wife announced Thursday afternoon.

In a prepared statement, Susan Schneider said her husband continued his decades-long battle against depression and anxiety, and he was in the early stages of Parkinson's when he was found dead at his suburban San Francisco home on Monday.

Schneider said her husband, the celebrated Oscar-winning actor and comedian, wasn't prepared to publicly share his Parkinson's diagnosis.

"Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression [and] anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly," Schneider said.

"It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid," she said.

Besides depression and anxiety, Williams had struggled on and off with substance abuse over the years. And he underwent open heart surgery in 2009.

Dr. Scott Krakower, assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., said some research has suggested an association between a Parkinson's disease diagnosis and depression but the exact connection isn't clear.

"There are some studies that show that 30 to 40 percent of patients with Parkinson's disease may have significant depression," he said. Since both conditions affect the brain, it's hard to distinguish what is Parkinson's and what is truly depression, he added.

As far as Williams is concerned, Krakower said one can't blame his suicide on the Parkinson's diagnosis. "Usually suicidal thoughts go down in people with Parkinson's disease," he said.

"There were a lot of factors impacting Williams," Krakower added. "He had the drug addiction, depression and heart problems. Throwing on the Parkinson's is just one more factor."

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that occurs when nerve cells in the brain don't produce enough of the brain chemical dopamine. Symptoms begin gradually and then progress. They include trembling of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk; slowed movement; and poor balance and coordination.

As symptoms worsen, people may have trouble walking and talking, and can experience problems such as depression and sleep difficulties.

There's no cure for Parkinson's disease, but there are medicines and therapies that can help improve symptoms, according to the NIH.

Williams' suicide Monday refocused public attention on depression, its sometimes link to substance abuse and, in tragic cases, suicide.

He was last seen alive at his suburban San Francisco home about 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the Marin County coroner's office. Shortly before noon on Monday, the Sheriff's Department received an emergency call from the home, where he was soon pronounced dead. Sheriff's officials said Tuesday that Williams committed suicide by hanging himself.

Williams, who was 63, had struggled for decades with substance abuse and depression, and routinely made references to those personal battles in his comedy routines.

"Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money," he would quip.

Williams had been dealing with severe depression recently, said his publicist. Early last month, he had checked himself into a rehab facility for substance abuse, according to published reports. His publicist told People magazine at the time that "after working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment [to sobriety], of which he remains extremely proud."

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