Rock bottom, looking back, came 11 days after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game.
My life, along with my family’s fabric, had slowly unraveled for months, spiraling into the abyss of mental illness. We had every reason to be happy in the fall of 2014. I was in my first season on the Packers beat, a dream job. My wife, Kelly, and I had three healthy, amazing boys. Each day was vibrant.
Depression doesn’t need permission to disrupt. It can strike when you least expect. That fall, Kelly had what can only be described as a mental breakdown. What followed was a routine of suicide attempts and psychiatric hospitalizations, each flailing treatment an unsuccessful solution. It felt like the illness was always one step ahead, no matter what we did.
Then in late January 2015, rock bottom. more
