September 2017 to January 2018 was the absolute
darkest time of my life.
After nearly a decade of entrepreneurship, problem solving, and putting out fire after fire ... I finally broke. I can pinpoint the exact month, day, and minute my brain gave out on me. When my mind turned traitor. When the fog appeared. When the light burned out. When the panic set in. When I lost my laughter. When death seemed the only viable option. I was stuck. Stuck in my own head.
A head telling me to do bad things, unspeakable things,
with a brain that was malfunctioning and in full meltdown mode.
I never thought this could happen to me; I always thought I could overcome any business problem simply by thinking positive, being creative, and working harder until things got better. Those strategies had always worked for me in the past. But this time was different. Unfortunately, depression is a common condition, especially amongst entrepreneurs. If my message helps even one person, it was worth the effort and vulnerability. Turns out, even the strongest people need to ask for help. There is no shame in it.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's not burned out, it's just temporarily obscured. Maybe you can't see it right now,
but I promise: it's there. -
WG