Robin Williams dies…of what?

How sad to lose such a talented comic before his time. Mrs Doubtfire is a favorite of many. My favorite is the simple and charming cult classic, Popeye. As I watched the expert talking heads on TV discussing his dual diagnosis, I feel compelled to throw in my two cents so here it is.
Conventional Wisdom says two psychiatric diseases, a depressive disorder and an addictive disorder contributed to his death. His depression may have worsened due to heart surgery.
In Beyond Mental Illness I argue that oxidative stress plays a role in both depression and heart disease. Depression doesn’t cause heart problems. Depression and heart problems can be a result of, among other things, excessive oxidative stress. Until we diagnose “mental” disorders with the same degree of precision as we diagnose “physical” disorders our treatments will continue to be as imprecise and ineffective as our diagnoses.
We need to look beyond the labels if we ever hope to have effective treatments.