CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A personal trainer said his high energy came to a standstill when he battled depression. He is now opening up about his experience.

What You Need To Know

  • According to the CDC, symptoms of depression increased nearly 15% during the height of the pandemic 

  • October is Depression Awareness Month

  • One North Carolina man recently wrote a book about his struggle with depression in hopes to help others

When Emmett Ballard was a young teenager, he weighed about 115 lbs. He started lifting weights and eventually reached a weight of over 200 lbs.

“I started in my grandmother's backyard with a broomstick and cinder blocks,” Ballard said.

He loved it so much that when he went to college he started power-lifting and competing. The workouts not only improved his self-esteem, but they made him feel good.

“Those beta endorphins and feel-good hormones that you get were addicting,” Ballard said. “It’s like riding a wave for the rest of the day.”

He eventually started personal training, and a few years ago he decided to open his own gym called “Faith Fitness” in Fort Mill, S.C. It was thriving for several years. Ballard put his heart and soul into the business.

“I’d be there from 4:30 a.m. to about 10 p.m.,” Ballard said. “And sometimes on weekends.”

Working long hours wasn’t conducive to his family life. He had a wife and two children. So he tried to take a step back, but that is when his business failed.

It couldn’t function without him there. When it closed, Ballard started to battle depression.

“I usually describe it as a dark place where you don’t want to go outside,” Ballard said. “Your ambitions and normal things that lift you up aren’t as exciting. I love to work out and during that time I was like, ‘I forgot working out.’”

One day he started journaling his thoughts. He said it helped him make better sense of the emotions he was experiencing. The writings eventually led to a book he recently published called “Fit 4 Purpose.”

“In every chapter, there are a set of questions at the end that will help guide each person closer and closer toward their greater purpose,” Ballard said.

Ballard said once he discovered his purpose, it was easier to come out of depression. He realized his purpose was to continue changing lives as a personal trainer. But, more importantly, to take a more active role as a husband and father of his two children.

Emmett Ballard's book “Fit 4 Purpose” is available online for $20. He also gives speeches at schools or public events.