Emergency personnel found Williams unconscious and stopped at 12:00 pm local time and was pronounced dead at 12:02 pm on Monday, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Office. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the death.

Forensic Division has reported that the death was suicide by asphyxiation.

This is a tragic and sudden loss. Robin Williams has been struggling with severe depression in recent months. The family has requested respect for their privacy during this difficult time.

Despite how common it is suffering a deep recession, many people do not understand exactly what it means to have depression, and often think it is the same as sadness.

When people talk about depression in a conversation with the neighbor usually have in mind something much less serious than the condition actually entails. In fact, the term is normally used as a synonym for mere sadness.

We should know about depression:

  • Although severe depression can strike people of any age, the average age is 32 years.
  • Depression is more common in women than in men.
  • Men with depression are more likely than depressed women to abuse alcohol and other substances. Depressed men can also try to hide their condition hooking to other activities such as watching television, playing sports, overwork or extreme sports.
  • Symptoms of depression in men can be more difficult to recognize so many cases go undiagnosed.
  • Men with depression are more likely than women to commit suicide.
  • Men with depression can spend more time without being diagnosed or treated so that they can develop a more serious mental health problem.
  • Symptoms of depression extend far beyond feeling sad, and may include: loss of interest in normal activities, irritability, agitation or restlessness, decreased sexual desire, decreased concentration, insomnia or excessive sleeping, chronic fatigue and lethargy.

Photo: «Robin Williams 2011a (2)» por Eva Rinaldi → Flickr: Robin Williams - →Esta imagen ha sido extraída del archivo: File:Robin Williams 2011a.jpg.. Disponible bajo la licencia CC BY-SA 2.0 vía Wikimedia Commons.