Not too much of the public know about Robin William’s inner life. He was depressed, diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and had a long battle with drugs. Along with many other comedians, Williams used drugs as a way to amp up his performance.
Certainly, he already had comic genius, but the drugs helped him to keep up with his own awe-inspiriting creativity. Throughout the 1970’s and early 1980’s, Williams was addicted to cocaine, heroin, and alcohol.
According to People Magazine, Williams quit cocaine and alcohol entirely in 1982 when his first wife was pregnant with their son Zachary. The approaching role of fatherhood as well as the recent death of his close friend John Belushi prompted him to get sober.
As recent articles are revealing, Williams has been in and out of drug detox, addiction treatment centers, and hospitals to address his drug abuse and mental illness. In an interview with The Guardian, Williams described the way his first drink exploded into alcoholism:
“I just thought, hey, maybe drinking will help. Because I felt alone and afraid. It was that thing of working so much, and going…’maybe that will help.’ And it was the worst thing in the world.”