Today’s #SameHere🤙 Hero: Louie Michael
Talk about a story – this hero has been through the ringer & is still now a cheerleader of other people, helping THEM out, to overcome their own struggles.
Involved in the Entertainment biz for a long time, having a predisposition for depression, coupling it with major physical injuries, losses in his life, & a number of personal struggles has not stopped Louie from sharing his story to benefit others, & we are so lucky to have him come on as a Hero to share in this hopes of helping even more of us!
“As a sufferer of depression from childhood, there are years of suffering from things or events that are just a part of life for many, but seemed worse for me due to the predisposition I had. Through the years, there have been many ups & downs & I have worked in the Entertainment business for some of the biggest stars in the world. I’m an Author, Speaker & I’ve even been a Ring Master in the circus! Today I still work for various entertainers but my day job is that of a REALTOR.
In recent years, I have had two major events that really impacted my mental health. In 2011, I had a bad head injury, a “de-gloving” of my right hand, & nearly severed my arm off at the elbow after falling through a large plate glass window. With this accident came a diagnosis of Post Concussion Syndrome & PTSD. In 2017, I was in a bad car accident that left me nearly losing a foot.
With the head injury, & related diagnosis, I was depressed, tired, confused & not thinking rationally. As a result, I left my family, was acting out in a way that wasn’t normal, & after getting hired as an Emcee for a Branson show, I couldn’t memorize the script. So many things related to the injuries only caused my depression I already had, to compounded even more.
After the first accident, seeing that my family was hurting & needed repair, I went to a Dr. for help. The Dr. visits were much needed & served my mental state well. I wanted so bad to recover & be all that I knew I could be for myself, my family & others.
Sharing my story has helped me because I know it encourages others to overcome & to #ChooseToLive! When you speak positive words, exercise, eat well & are kind, you can ALWAYS overcome.
I first started going public about my #SameHere🤙 story after a country singer friend, Mindy McCready died by suicide in 2013. I started making little videos for social media, talking about my struggles with depression & desire to take my own life at times through the years.
People began reaching out & telling me of their feelings or the fact that they had depression but were afraid to tell anyone. These were people that you never would have thought had a reason in the world to be depressed. The response to my story & encouragement through my social media posts have been incredibly rewarding for me. I have worked in the Entertainment business for years, & my stage now is to encourage others to live.”
