Hollywood and even a large section of Bollywood is still in shock about US actor Robin Williams, who has been found dead, aged 63, in an apparent suicide. Reports state that the Marin County Police in California said Williams was pronounced dead at his home after officials responded to an emergency call. His publicist said he had been “battling severe depression”.

Williams struggle with alcohol and drugs was public as he used to talk about it. The suicide was a result of asphyxiation. The death once again puts an emphasis on how it is absolutely imperative not to take depression lightly. Depression is a medical condition, one cannot be flippant about it. One’s mental state is often, and especially in India, not given the same importance as a physical state. Depression is waved away as a phase where one feels low and those suffering are told that it will go away. This kind of advice, however well-meaning, is amateur.