Good morning folks!
We are here at WYYY, the station that digs deep into the news to figure
out the answer as to why it happened.
Today, the subject of it is Robin Williams and why he died. We decided to interview the well-known Master
of Several Trades, Annette Fricke because she has done some amazing research on
the subject. Equipped with computers at
work, home, and the internet she put the pieces together so we would all know
just exactly how the story of Robin Williams all fits together.
First of all, Robin had a lonely childhood. He grew up in a
wealthy household with a black maid, but “his rich parents had little time for
him.” He said that he “was supposed to
be seen but not heard.” “His closest friend was his pet, a hunting dog called
Duke. He was so desperate for a companion he spent hours trying to teach Duke
to play hide-and-seek.”[1]
In the 1970’s, Robin began snorting cocaine and did not stop
until after attending the party where his friend, Jim Belushi died in 1982.[2] He claimed that Cocaine did not speed him up
but slowed him down. It also made him
paranoid and impotent.[3] Other diagnoses he had were Depression,
Bipolar, Bipolar Mixed.[4],[5] It appears that he was dually diagnosed, probably
depressed as a child. He did have years
of sobriety and at least two stays at Hazelton, one in Minnesota and one in
Oregon. Robin also attended AA meetings.[6] He claims that his humor is what helped
him. He was happy when he made people
laugh.[7]
Medically, Robin had symptoms of Parkinson’s in 2011. He had also developed Lewy Body Dementia
which is similar to Parkinson’s and not usually diagnosed until after death. The
two diseases are characterized by different early symptoms, but they reflect
the same underlying biological changes in the brain, and, over time, patients
with both diagnoses will develop very similar cognitive, physical, sleep, and
behavioral symptoms, according to LBDA.[8],[9]
“The short-term physiological
effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and
increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts (several
hundred milligrams or more) intensify the user's high but may also lead to
bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. These users may experience tremors,
vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction
closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some users of cocaine report feelings
of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. In rare instances, sudden death can
occur on the first use of cocaine or sometime thereafter. Cocaine-related
deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory
arrest.”[10]
“Long-term effects of cocaine use include addiction,
irritability and mood disturbances, restlessness, paranoia, and auditory
hallucinations.”[11]
Alcohol effects: cirrhosis of liver, crosses blood brain
barrier, affects directly the neuron receptors and neurotransmitters, increases
blood pressure which can lead to stroke or vascular
dementia. “Volatile (rapid changes in blood pressure as what happens in
binge-drinking) has also been linked to Parkinson’s
Disease in those who consume alcohol as compared to those who are
abstinent.”[12]
It can also lead to vitamin deficiency which can bring
severe damage to the brain resulting in “memory loss, emotional disturbance,
gait problems, and ataxia.”[13]
In addition, “long term alcohol abuse effects include damage
to the brain, high blood pressure, heart muscle damage, and nerve damage,
pancreatitis, bleeding in the esophagus, erectile dysfunction in men, fetal
alcohol syndrome in the offspring of alcoholic women, insomnia, depression and
increased cancer risks.”[14]
The combination of both cocaine and alcohol: “Research has
revealed a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol. Taken
in combination, the two drugs are converted by the body to cocaethylene, which
has a longer duration of action in the brain and is more toxic than either drug
alone. While more research needs to be done, it is noteworthy that the mixture
of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug combination that results in
drug-related death.”[15]
There you have it.
Cause of death: asphyxiation by hanging/suicide.[16] It is likely that the alcohol caused the
Parkinson’s, but cocaine could also be the culprit. Adults who abuse cocaine might
increase their risk of developing Parkinson's disease.[17]
Join me once again next week when we explore the death of
John Belushi.
