Undiagnosed ‘Chemical Warfare’ Afflicting His Brain Cost Robin Williams His Beautiful Life

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Beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams was much more than an entertainer. He was a symbol representing love, humor, and hope, some of humanity’s best qualities. His comedy had a special kind of warmth that just touched your soul.

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But beneath the smiling mask, we all knew and loved was a secret tournament. While this can be said for many comedians, as they often turn their personal struggles into fuels for their comedy, William’s pain was also very much physical.

The world was shocked and saddened upon learning of his untimely death in 2014 when the actor took his own life.

However, suicide wasn’t twholeull story, there was much more behind his tragedy, and his wife, Susan Schneider, decided in 2015 to set the record straight regarding details of her husband’s death.

During an interview, Schneider revealed the tragic details of her husband’s final years and the struggle he underwent while doing battle with the symptoms of dementia. At the time, Williams was seeking a more detailed diagnosis and was due to undergo more testing. Schneider hoped talking about his painful situation would help his fans understand how Williams’ physical health played a much larger role in his tragic passing.

She had spent the following year attempting to understand what happened to her husband and why. The couple married in 2011, enjoying just a few short years. Remembering their marriage, Schneider recalled: “It’s what I always dreamed of a love would be.” She continued, tearily, saying their marriage had been “based on just honor love respect.”

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Schnieder then recalled when she first noticed issues with her husband’s health.

“In November of 2013, he had a little gut pain. Next month it was another symptom. It was like this endless parade of symptoms and not all of them would raise their head at once.”

Due to the complexity of the comedian’s disease, doctors initially diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease. The couple would struggle to find relief. She recalled:

 “It was like playing whack-a-mole. Which symptom is it this month?” Williams seemed to be plagued by an unspecific onslaught of anguish physically and mentally. Schneider remembers questioning what was happening, saying, “I thought, was my husband a hypochondriac? We’re chasing it- there are no answers…we tried everything.”

More concerning was her husband’s mounting confusion and inability to function without assistance properly, which led Schneider to question whether Robin was safe on his own. She remembered one occasion, explaining:

 “I was in the shower and all of a sudden I saw him, lingering at the sink for a while. Something didn’t seem right and I opened up the door and there was blood. This towel was so soaked with blood and he was just downing his head. I just screamed, ‘Robin.’ What happened? What did you do?” He had “miscalculated.”

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She recalled the moment, saying:

 “He pointed to the door and I said did you hit your head and he nodded. His only response was, ‘I miscalculated.'”

It was clear her beloved was struggling. She described what “was going on inside of his brain” during this time was like “chemical warfare that no one knew about.” As his wife, she watched Robin suffer night and day, she said, “My best friend was sinking.”

Doctors would only learn of his true affliction after Robin’s autopsy. He had a condition known as Lewy body dementia, a debilitating disorder of the brain that impacts mood, movement, thinking, and overall behavior. Dr. Dan Kaufer, director of the UNC Memory Disorders Program, explained the diagnosis during the interview, saying:

“Lewy body dementia is a complex disorder with many different presentations. You can see very dramatic effects in thinking emotions and behavior.”

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Now, knowing her husband’s real diagnosis, Schneider felt that much of her husband’s struggles over his final months were clarified. Upon this realization, she said:

“Lewy body dementia killed Robin. It’s what took his life. And that’s what I’ve spent the last year trying to get to the bottom of what took my husband’s life.” When asked if she felt Williams was “losing his mind” as a result of the LBD, she responded, “Yes, absolutely. And he was aware of it he was keeping it together as best as he could but the last month he could not. It was like the dam broke.” She continued, saying, “And I don’t blame him one bit.”

Schnieder continued, explaining how her husband was due to undergo further neological testing at his death. While Robin had been aware of his deteriorating health for some time, Schneider said her husband was “not yet ready to share publically. The couple was in the midst of privately deciding the best course of action when Robin passed.

His widow recalled the night of his death, saying:

“I was getting in bed…and he said ‘good night, my love’ And I said, ‘good night, my love.’ and then it came back again.”

Robin had been fiddling on his new iPad, expressing frustration, as many his age does, when it came to this new technology, and Schneider thought at the time, “he’s getting better.” Then her husband “said, ‘good night, good night’ that was the last.”

Foll0wing her husband’s death, Schneider released a heartfelt statement concerning Robin’s inner struggles.

[Robin Williams’] greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.” She continued, speaking to those who may be in a similar situation to her husband, adding, “It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid.”

While the events of that tragic night and the following morning will undoubtedly impact Scheider’s memories of her beloved late husband, she also fondly remembers her time off-screen with the most people only known by his public persona. While recalling their precious time together, she said:

My favorite movie of Robin Williams was Robin Williams being a human being, not an actor… best movie in the world.”

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You can also watch the interview in the video below.

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Sources:

  1. “Robin Williams’s Undiagnosed ‘Chemical Warfare’ In His Brain Caused Him Immense Anguish” Apost.