Robin William’s son Zak touches on dad’s ‘painful’ misdiagnosis

Robin William’s son Zak recently got candid ad weighed in on the pain his father endured due to his misdiagnosis.

Zak got candid over it all during his interview with Max Lugavere for The Genius Life podcast and was quoted saying, “It’s a unique form a suffering in the family context.”

“We talked several times a week but then it got to the point where we’re talking every day. I wanted to be there for him on a daily basis. I really wanted to because [DLB] can be really isolating even if you’re with family and loved ones.”

During the course of his interview Zak suggested that his daughter’s misdiagnosis “might have exacerbated the situation.”

“The diagnosis was different than the disease so I think it could be a situation where you’re taking stuff and experiencing purely the side effects of [the drug]. There’s a range of efficacy but what I found was they’re also really hard on the mind and body, so that was hard to see.”

Zak also added, “When he died by suicide the [DLB] had progressed, but he was only really two years in. I don’t want to say it was a short period — it felt a lot longer than it actually was — but it was a period for him of intense searching and frustration. From my lens, it felt so sad for me because I loved him so much as a dad but also he was one of my best friends and we spent so much time together.”

“For him to confide in me and share his experience, it’s frightening, you know, and I have a lot of empathy for family members going through similar or the same experience because it’s just devastating.”