I Wasn't Okay | Rock Bottom Rising

I Wasn’t Okay… But I Kept Going

A few years ago, I hit rock bottom.
My midlife crisis.
My “I don’t know if I can do this anymore” moment.

It wasn’t just one thing—it was everything. A cascade of failures, one after another, like every domino in my life had started to fall.

Relationships. Friendships. Career. All slipping at the same time.

And then came the aftermath.

The debt.
The loss of self-worth and confidence.
The isolation.
The fear.
The loneliness.
The hopelessness.

There were days when everything in me wanted to give up. But underneath all of it, there was a small, quiet voice that refused to go away.

franz26-ai-generated-8112465_1280_3ad1fa5b-675c-41c8-bbdf-30015426a0b6.webp

It kept saying: “This is NOT how your story ends.”

And somehow… it got louder. Even when nothing around me was getting better.

So I made a decision: if I couldn’t fix everything, I would at least try to fix myself.

I became relentless about it.

I focused on one thing—feeling even a little bit better. I filtered out the noise. I refused to stay stuck, even on the days when I could barely function.

I did whatever I could:
Therapy. Medication.
Journaling—tracking my thoughts, my moods, my patterns.
Support groups. Online communities. Conversations with people who understood.
Treatment for depression, anxiety, and ADHD.
Job applications—more than I could count.

I asked for help. From friends. From acquaintances. From strangers.
I even started a GoFundMe just to cover rent and food.

And yeah… it felt humbling. Uncomfortable. Sometimes even a little pathetic.

But I kept going.

Fast forward to today—things aren’t perfect, but they’re better.
I’m in a healthier headspace.
I found work. I’m rebuilding my credit.
I’m in a strong, supportive relationship.

I’m rebuilding my life—slowly, quietly—but for real this time.

That’s why I started Rock Bottom Rising.

Not just to tell my story—but to build something bigger than me.

A community for people who are in the thick of it.
A place to shine a light on the struggles most people never see.
A place to talk openly about mental health—without shame, without filters.
A place to share the tools, the lessons, and the small wins that help you climb out.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Rock bottom isn’t the end.

It’s the starting point.

And if this community can help even one person hold on a little longer, take one more step, or reach out for help…

then it’s already worth it.

- Chris