1, 2, Many: Veteran Suicide With Timothy Lawson

I sit here in the wake of Robin Williams’ suicide wondering what I could add that others already haven’t. As much as I try to avoid news-jacking, the conversation that surrounded Williams’ death fits the point I’m making today. I want to start this flow of thought with a line from the song Follow Your Lead by Joe Budden. Joe is one of my favorite artists and I seem to resonate with so many of his lyrics. “Always say I’ve been through worse, what if I haven’t?” A number of responses to Robin Williams’ suicide wondered how could someone so funny, successful, and wealthy get to such a dark place. Well, anyone that has suffered through depression will tell you it has no boundaries. Depression does not check your resume, bank account, or the amount of “Likes” on your Facebook page before it sets in. Once it gets to you, its not an emotion that turns on and off from outside stimulus like happiness, sadness, and anger. In fact, it is possible to experience a burst of happiness while still being depressed. Your con