LDS Man Shares Hope after Harrowing Battle with Depression

Craig Rydalch had entertained suicidal thoughts before, but never to the point of acting on them.

When Rydalch's home construction business fell on hard times in 2008, stress and discouragement pushed the former Utah basketball player to the darkest depths. .

“At that point, I decided life wasn’t worth living anymore,” Rydalch said. “One day, I left my guys at the job site and went to my father-in-law’s barn and tried to hang myself.”

Rydalch survived through what he could only describe as divine intervention.

The husband and father from Oakley, Summit County, is one of nearly 15 million American adults who live with major depression and one of 42 million who live with an anxiety disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Since that unforgettable day, Rydalch still has moments of deep despair. But with support from family and friends, his LDS faith and professional help, he continues to cope with his mental illness. He has also benefitted from the experiences of others.

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