Rick
Rick
I want people to know they are not alone
He was on the cover of magazines, was the star of a hit television show, had a song on the top of the Billboard charts, was a new father, and seemed to have the perfect life.
Behind the dazzling smile and his outwardly easy-going demeanor, Rick hid a terrible secret: he was miserable.
I was supposed to be living a life that other people envied, but the reality was that I was deeply depressed, and I just didn’t understand why I was supposed to feel happy and didn’t. It was awful.
What few people knew was that Rick had struggled with depression since adolescence and had even attempted suicide as a teenager. Realizing that he couldn’t continue to hide his feelings, he took a 10-year break from show business in order to spend time with his family and seek treatment for depression.
Getting treatment was a big step, but unlike with other conditions, where there is a recovery period or a cure, depression is something you live with for the rest of your life.
Rick knows that depression is part of who he is and at times, it has sparked creativity that helped him write some of his best songs.
I think good art does come from a dark place. It’s our struggle to come to terms with things in our own life that, as writers, you write about.
Although Rick still struggles with depression, he credits his wife Barbara with being his biggest source of support. With her along with their two sons by his side, he is actively working again, recently starring in the television shows “Supernatural” and “True Detective,” and the film “Ricki and Flash” opposite Meryl Streep.
He has also been actively touring, where throngs of fans turn out nightly to hear him play the hits, the most popular being “Jessie’s Girl.”
I talk about my depression and the experiences I have had because I don’t want anyone else to ever feel alone like I did.
It is important for people to watch me on stage or on TV and know that I am just like them and that it’s important to be introspective and recognize when you need help.
Be sure to check out this great Profiles of Hope video about Rick’s experience with mental health, produced by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
