Robin Williams’ widow Susan Schneider Williams has opened up in heartbreaking detail about her late husband’s sad decline as a result of his battle with Lewy Body Disease, in the hope it will raise awareness about the little understood or discussed condition, and its progression. In a highly emotional essay for medical journal Neurology titled ‘The Terrorist Inside My Husband’s Brain’, she revealed just how much he endured before his sad departure from this life.
Revealing he endured a long series of confusing symptoms before he was finally properly diagnosed – including ‘constipation, urinary difficulty, heartburn, sleeplessness and insomnia, and a poor sense of smell—and lots of stress,’ his situation eventually escalated to mental issues that attacked his very identity and sense of self. ‘By wintertime, problems with paranoia, delusions and looping, insomnia, memory, and high cortisol levels—just to name a few—were settling in hard. Psychotherapy and other medical help was becoming a constant in trying to manage and solve these seemingly disparate conditions.’
In a devastating development, the star suffered a major panic episode on the set of Night At The Museum 3, forgetting his lines – something he had never faced before. ‘This loss of memory and inability to control his anxiety was devastating to him,’ she wrote.
It was only a month before his passing from suicide that Robin was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
‘He kept saying “I just want to reboot my brain.”
‘His loss of basic reasoning just added to his growing confusion.’
Amid all the sadness, Susan recalls one ‘perfect day’ before Robin’s tragic, premature death.
‘We did all the things we love on Saturday day and into the evening, it was perfect – like one long date. By the end of Sunday, I was feeling that he was getting better. When we retired for sleep, in our customary way, my husband said to me, “Goodnight, my love,” and waited for my familiar reply: “Goodnight, my love.” His words still echo through my heart today.’
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or emotional issues, call Life Line on 13 11 14 or visit Beyond Blue.
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