In 2014, Robin Williams, who was diagnosed with Lewy body disease, died by suicide in 2014. His son, Zak, admitted that he was traumatized by what happened to his father. Speaking to PEOPLE, he said that following his father's death, he fell into depression and was self-medicating with alcohol.
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He experienced a serious low-point
"Deeply unhappy and extremely isolated and broken" was how he described his state of mind then. Speaking to ABC7 in May 2020, he said he experienced a serious low point in his life and felt utterly emotionally dysregulated. Until one day, he realized that his drinking was already getting out of hand. He recognized that he needed help at that point. He added that living the way that he did wasn't worth living. So, something had to give.
Zak then attended recovery group meetings and sought therapy. He also started eating healthy, exercising, and meditating. All of these help him heal, and now he hopes to help others as well. His experience encouraged him to become a mental health advocate.
He began by working with Bring Change to Mind, a non-profit founded by Glenn Close, and Inseparable - national policy and advocacy group. He also launched PYM (Prepare Your Mind), a company he founded to promote mental health support. His PYM's first product, which will be launched on October 22, is called Mood Chews. It is a dietary supplement that helps relieve anxiety and stress.
View this post on InstagramPrepare Your Mind. Support your feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm with our all-natural, safe, and super effective amino acid infused mood chews. A post shared by PYM (@youcanpym) on Oct 13, 2020 at 1:43pm PDT
He recently got married and is now a proud father to a baby boy
Zac has found his happy place. He and Olivia had just married last October 10, 2020. The ceremony was held at The Paramour Estate in L.A. and was intimate; attended only by close family and friends PEOPLE noted.
He is also a proud father to a 17-month-old baby, Mickey. He said that he is thrilled to have a family and that he is living the life he has always wanted. Despite the traumatic events and being broken, he said, was able to recover.
About Depression
Losing a loved can cause people to feel an intense feeling of grief that sometimes lead to depression. While it is normal to feel grief, prolonged sadness, and hopelessness, you are suffering from depression. According to Healthline, longer-lasting grief is called complicated grief.
Signs of complicated grief include trouble thinking about anything except the death of a loved one, a lasting longing for the deceased loved one, and a feeling that life no longer has meaning.
If you know someone or need help, you can reach out to a certified crisis counselor by texting "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
