[caww]

Understood...but then they do need to get the help they need...at issue is the battle to maintain that help and they often don't for the long run. Too often the patient believes they can treat mental illness as any other disease...take medicine for a time and when you feel better your cured.... Of course that's seldom the case with mental illness. Often the medication sustains them on a level playing field for a time..and then in some case have to change it along the way for various reasons.....It also matters the type of treatment and as much those giving the treatment.

There are many factors in the equation in treating mental illness....however with Williams his lifestyle throughout his years compounded his problem.....and he knew that.

He once said that his cocaine addiction helped control his manic side...but that was self administered and for that through him into full blown over medicating himself...then the booze added still another level of issues....

Factor in his temper and “mean side” his family members alluded to and you've got a recipe for an unfavorable outcome in time and tide. As mentioned...got to give him credit for making it to his 60's.....many more have thrown in the towel early on.

[trisham]

Yes, well said. Another problem is that manic depressives and schizophrenics are very prone to going off of their medications. It happens often, because of some of the side effects of the medication, and because they lose some of the “highs” of their disease.