Zak Williams joined The Dr. Oz Show to talk about mental health, addiction issues, and suicide to spread awareness and to help others understand they are not alone and have options. Six years after the heartwrenching suicide of his father Robin Williams, Zak is explaining what happened.
Robin Williams' Son Zak Opens Up
Zak Williams joined The Dr. Oz Show to talk about the importance of mental health and shared his experience of his father Robin Williams' struggles and his own struggles. People got an early look into the episode and documented what Zak shared.
Zak Williams said, "I was acutely aware of my dad's struggles with depression, it manifested in addiction at times and he took great lengths to support his well-being and mental health, especially when he was challenged. It was something that was a daily consideration for him."
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Zak and his family were very close so he could see what his father was trying in hopes of getting better, "The main thing for me was noticing how he went through great lengths to support himself while he could show up for others. It was clear that he prioritized his mental health throughout most of his life, at least that I experienced with him."
Donations but with a hilarious Robin twist!
Zelda Williams Celebrates Late Father Robin Williams By Giving Back
It was this experience of his father's efforts that inspired him when he realized he was struggling with addiction and depression after his dad's 2014 suicide. Zak confessed, "I found myself hitting rock bottom when I wanted to just be numb. I found myself wanting to drink alcohol and just not think. That was something that was really dysregulating for me."
Sadly, Zak realized he went down a similar path his father had, "I found myself waking up in the morning and feeling like I was having a dissociative experience, but I just didn't want to be living the life I was living. I realized something had to give." Zak has founded PYM that helps those struggling with anxiety cope in healthier ways and with safe and natural supplements.
Through his own battle, he found help in "forms of healing, specifically relating to not only a healthy lifestyle but also connecting with people. I can't stress how important service is to my life. The other thing I found community support groups to be really helpful. I'm in a 12-step-program, that's very helpful for me personally. For others it might be connecting through community organization or through sports, there's any number of things."
Zak's dad, Good Will Hunting star Robin Williams was suffering from a serious form of dementia that was affecting his thinking, body, and memory before he took his own life. Zak has grown from this tragic loss and created something his father would be proud of from it.
Zak has been working to keep his dad's legacy alive by working with powerful organizations like Inseparable, which helps people all over the US get access to mental health care during the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm thrilled to have a family and live the life that I always wanted to live," he said. "I've learned I'm not broken. Despite experiencing traumatic events, I can recover. And I am now on a path of healing and being the person I always wanted to be."
