Most people know that actor Robin Williams struggled with addiction and mental health. Of course, his family was in the know, too. But that doesn't change the fact that people often try to hide their demons from their children.
But now we're hearing from Robin's son Zak on just how much he knew about his father's struggles with mental health and how hard it was for his dad to cope in the months before his death.
Zak, who is 37 years old, knows a bit about mental health struggles himself. He recently admitted that in the years after his father's death, he fell into a deep depression. But on a recent episode of Dr. Oz, he shared what it was like to watch his father suffer.
Zak shared how utterly devastating it was to see his father struggle with his mental health. And not only because he knew his father was in pain, but because Robin was doing so much to try to combat his illness. He told Dr. Oz, "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," he says. "It was something that was a daily consideration for him."
Despite Robin doing everything in his power, he died by suicide six years ago. The iconic actor was 63 years old. Zak said, "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."
In the wake of his father's death, Zak has become a fierce and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness. And because he works very hard to combat the illnesses in his own life, he knows just how difficult it can be. That makes him incredibly committed to the cause.
He opened up about his lowest low. "I found myself hitting rock bottom when I wanted to just be numb. I found myself wanting to drink alcohol and just not think," he recalls. "That was something that was really dysregulating for me."
"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," he says. But Zak fought back.
Not only did he take control of his own life, he also made it his life's work to help others do the same. In 2020, he launched his own company, PYM (Prepare Your Mind), which promotes mental health support. The company creates products that can help, too, like Mood Chews, a dietary supplement intended to help relieve stress and anxiety.
He says that the work he's doing is a huge part of what helps him survive. "I can't stress how important service is to my life," he says. "The other thing is 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 is obviously incredibly motivated. And he has a lot to look forward to in his own life. He has a thriving new company and a beautiful family. Zak shares 18-month-old son McLaurin "Mickey" Clement with wife Olivia June.
"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."
Zak's dad would be so incredibly proud of his son for his work ethic and his candor. Not only is he working on incredible things that can help so many people, he's opening up about his own struggles. Both have the ability to have huge impacts on the wellness of those affected by mental health and addiction struggles.
