Robin Williams' son gives new details about his late father: 'He was very embarrassed and frustrated by the wrong diagnosis'
Actor Robin Williams, who took his own life in August 2014, would celebrate his 70th birthday yesterday, and on that occasion, his son Zak spoke candidly about the effect of his father’s misdiagnosis and the trauma he himself faced after his death.
Zak, who is a mental health advocate today, was a guest on The Genius Life podcast on Wednesday and with the host, Max Lugavere talked about his father’s frustration and discomfort before he died.
‘What I saw was frustration,’ Zak said of his father’s misdiagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
It wasn’t until years after his death that it was discovered that Williams actually had Lewy body dementia, the second most common progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.
‘What he was going through didn’t quite match what many patients with Parkinson’s are experiencing. So, I think it was difficult for him ', said Zak and described his father's condition in more detail.
‘He had problems with focus, which frustrated him, there were problems with how he felt, and from a neurological perspective, he didn’t feel great either. He was very uncomfortable, 'said Zak, who believes that his father's medication, due to a misdiagnosis, did more harm than good.
‘These drugs are not a joke and are very difficult for the mind and body,’ Zak said.
Levy’s body dementia is a type of brain disease that has affected Williams’ 'thinking, memory, and movement control, which, according to his son, has made the actor’s job very challenging.
Zak says he couldn’t help his father more than sympathize with him, which made him feel frustrated himself, which can be really isolating even when you’re surrounded by family and loved ones.
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'It was ... I don't want to say it was a short period. I felt it was a lot longer than it really was because that period was a period of intense search and frustration for him, 'said Zak, and then revealed how his father's suicide affected his own mental health.
‘I drank heavily to deal with my mental problems, which created even more harmful problems. And I personally had health problems and experienced psychosis. When I went to a psychiatrist, I was diagnosed with PTSD, 'said Zak, adding that he treated his trauma with alcohol.
From his own difficulties with depression, Zak got out by working to promote the importance of mental health.
‘I was just tired of trying harmful treatment,’ said Zak who found salvation in group therapy and a 12-step rehab program.
‘I learned I wasn’t broken. Despite experiencing traumatic events, I can recover. Now I am on the path of healing and becoming the person I have always wanted to be, 'Zak told People magazine in October last year about his mental health.
By: Amber V, - Gossip Whispers
