Kevin Curry’s depression almost killed him. Food, fitness and fortitude brought him back

Posted by Jennifer Grubb, CNN

Since childhood, Kevin Curry prayed that God would “fix” him and take away his sadness.

“Everything feels good, but I don’t feel good,” said Curry. “Why that? Why is it sunny outside and everyone wants to play? The only thing I want to do is run back in, get under my bed and just be there.”

His depression – coupled with the loss of his job and his girlfriend – felt so inevitable by his late twenties that he decided to end his life.

“I remember planning everything perfectly,” Curry said, pausing as he began to choke. “I’ve put all of my finances together. I’ve written my notes, written my letters. “

“It was so calculated that I was doing research on how to cut my wrist, and I had sharpie marks drawn on my arms to actually do this.”

When one of his oldest friends reached out a hand to meet that evening, Curry accepted.

“It was the perfect end to my preparations.”

One phone call saved his life

While hanging out with his friend, Curry’s phone rang.

It was an advisor he had only seen a few times. He hadn’t spoken to her in weeks.

“And she’s like, ‘Hey, I’m breaking all kinds of protocols here. But for some reason I remembered you very, very strongly. Will you come to me tomorrow? ‘”, Curry recalled. “It was just a random call.”

He put his suicide plan on hold and went to the appointment. In the past the therapist only asked superficial questions. This time, she went deep and asked Curry about his alcohol consumption, dreams, and mental health.

“And when I spoke to her, she said, ‘What are the marks on your arm?’ She saw the sharpie marks, ”said Curry.

His eyes filled before he could continue.

“I started telling her what I was feeling. And I’ve never unpacked that from anyone. And all this time I grew up in church and for some reason had convinced myself that God doesn’t really care about me. That he (me) somehow (had) forgotten. That my belief was not strong enough to really overcome these feelings, to end my life. “

Education about his illness

The advisor’s response was the turning point for Curry.

“She says, ‘Well, if you had a cold, wouldn’t you take cold medicine? If you had the flu, wouldn’t you go to CVS and take something? ‘ And I thought, ‘Of course.’ And then she said, “Sometimes people just need a little more help. And there is nothing wrong with you and nothing wrong with your faith. ‘”

Curry felt like a load had fallen from his shoulders. He was diagnosed with depression and anxiety in 2010. Therapy and medication made him feel better, but he also wanted to look better.

The Dallas resident began exercising three hours a day, five days a week. But it did not work. After a few months, his physique remained unchanged.

“It’s a realization that everyone will recognize, and that is the fact that you can never overtake a bad diet,” he explained. “This started my true journey to change my whole life.”

Change begins in the kitchen

A personal trainer put Curry on a strict diet and he lost some weight. But he put the pounds back on as soon as he deviated from the plan.

“I live in the south,” he says. “We love soul food every Sunday after church and Mexican food at least three times a week here in Texas.”

Curry, who has a degree from the University of Texas and a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard, thought he had the intelligence to learn how to eat healthy without giving up the food he loved.

“I went to a half price bookstore and bought every single book they had about nutrition,” he said with a laugh. “And I’ve just started consuming the content. And then I started cooking. “

In the summer of 2012, he started posting his dishes on social media in hopes of getting free advice on his diet.

“And suddenly, it seemed like overnight, people were sending me all these questions and praising me for what I was doing,” smiled Curry. “And I realized that there are more people like me who are trying to eat healthily and want good food, but not boring, boring diets.”

“And that’s what Fit Men Cook created … a global community of people committed to living healthier, happier lives.”

Beyond business

Today, Curry is spreading his influence on social media with more than 2 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube combined. He’s also published a cookbook, has two meal prep apps (FitMenCook and MealPrepPro), and recently added a line of condiments to his repertoire.

Despite his success, Curry admitted that he still has low moments.

“One thing I’ve learned is to allow myself to be human and know that I won’t feel 100 percent every day of the year. And that was the hardest part for me because I felt that now that I feel better, this should be permanent. No. Sometimes you just don’t feel that good. Sometimes life circumstances just start to mix. “

For those struggling with depression and anxiety, Curry suggested six strategies that work for him:

1. Identify signs of depression (a change in mood or behavior) yourself and seek help.
2. Make meals easy. Get foods that don’t take a lot of effort to prepare, such as eggs, yogurt, and tinned tuna.
3. Find a nutritious recipe to cook every week. “The energy you put into food and generate does so much more than just nourish your stomach. It feeds you. It takes care of your body, ”explained Curry. It’s also good for your brain. “
4. Do a social media check. Unfollow feeds that make you feel negative.
5. Set a fitness goal that fits your diet.
6. Be nice to yourself.

And it is important to do everything in moderation.

“Try to find one thing that you can do differently. Just for a week, ”he said. “We try so quickly to change everything, to revise our whole life, because everything will be perfect immediately. Life doesn’t work like that. … You have to do it little by little. “

Advice on life, such a determined survivor.

“My greatest achievement every year is learning to deal with everything, with all the pressure, society and life. And not back to ‘2010 Kevin’ and how he dealt with it, ”said Curry. “I am really proud of myself. Kevin, you are alive and you have won. You hit the year. “

The CNN Wire
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If you know someone who needs immediate help and may be suicidal, contact the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/kevin-currys-depression-almost-killed-him-food-fitness-and-fortitude-brought-him-back/