The late great Robin Williams died of suicide in 2014, leaving behind a devastated family and legions of heartbroken fans. Because of this, Williams’ son Zak Williams is a mental health advocate and supports those who struggle with the crippling effects of mental illness. Robin Williams was given the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease two years before he died, but he was misdiagnosed. His actual diagnosis was probably Lewy body dementia (DLB). Because his dad was misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s, Zak wants to share his father’s story far and wide in the hopes that it will somehow help someone else.
Zak shared in an intimate interview that he and his dad talked several times a week and at one point, nearly every day. Zak wanted to be there for his dad all the time because he knew that the disease could be very isolating even if you’re surrounded by friends and family. New revelations show that Zak and the rest of the family believe that the misdiagnosis may have damaged his father’s morale to the point where it was unbearable and “might have exacerbated the situation.” Apparently, the drugs that are prescribed to treat Parkinson’s disease are “no joke” and they “put you through it” in a really negative way.
Towards the end of his life, Robin had a difficult time with his improvisation skills because of the horrible impact the disease and the medications had on his brain and body. Zak says that for his dad, even though he only had the disease for two years before he died, it felt like an eternity because it was such an intense period of frustration and searching. Zak shares that he was so sad watching his father go through this. After his father’s death, Zak started drinking and was diagnosed with PTSD. Since then, he is now sober for four years.
In the video below, you can see Zak in an interview talking about his own healing and how he became a mental health advocate.