Passion Has No Ending, Hopefully

I may be projecting my experiences onto yours, but I see this is a number of stresses that have compiled over time onto you and it's brought you onto one knee. Snapping isn't always bad thing. Snapping can be the trigger than brings you back-- hence the term "snapping back".

I've been dealing with problems, personally and professionally, that have been adding up over time. The weight of these problems eventually became unbearable.

If you want to share war stories over a voice-chat I'd be open to that. We can even do so anonymously.

I know this feeling all too well. I recently got help added to my roster and it's been a Godsend. Ask for your advisors to help you find someone part time to help. You, yourself need to ask for help. Even if it's someone who can take one task away, it'll make things better. Don't ever feel that no one wants to help. They just don't know that you need it.

You can probably get good people to chip in for equity and with a realistic path to a salary? Worth thinking about. Sounds like your current situation is unsustainable and should stop for your health.

Over several years I too have bent the clock in multiple start-ups. I still do even after a couple of respectable exits and an IPO. Depression often hits with all of its wonderful symptoms - it seems a common characteristic of driven entrepreneurs.

It took me a while to learn that sleep is a critical part of fighting depression. Not a cure, but it helps. You've got to do it or you will reach a point where you're no longer effective, creating the very scenario you're trying to avoid by working around the clock.

I would caution against disclosing anything about depression to your advisors or team. Experience has taught me that what you say can and will be used against you. Advisors and team members are usually the wrong people to confide in for this kind of thing.

I would encourage you to talk to someone. You've taken the right step by using this site. Connect with someone who knows what you're going through and can be a sounding board. I'll certainly offer my help accordingly if you want to connect.

Good luck...

I sincerely hope that your overwork is due to lack of financial resources rather than the inability the delegate.

I just recently came out of a breakdown 6 weeks ago. Your story is word-for-word exactly how I would explain my experience. I handled it badly, and it ended badly, I was the closest to suicide I've ever been but I got through it! I've struggled with mental health, specifically anxiety since 15 - it's a chemical imbalance that I will always have.

The best advice I have ever received is from a doctor who said "you need to treat your illness like someone who has epilepsy. You need to take your medication, get enough rest, eat properly and minimise stressors".

You need to do this right now. Go to a doctor and get your health back on track.

You need to create space in your calendar to save yourself. You are no good to anyone - your business or your family without your health. Please do not make the same mistake I did and screw it all up as I did. But you know what - even having had that happened I got through it and now I'm fine - here to see another day. It was an incredibly challenging few weeks of dealing with the failure but now I look back and think - yea it was horrendous and yea I snapped but life goes on and I'm excited to see what is up next.

I know things seem bad now but they will not be this way forever. You will look back on this experience and think "yea, I'm a fricking hero to have got through that".

Prayers and strength with you.

An oldie but goodie - http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/07/19/life-is-10-how-you-make-it-and-90-how-you-take-it/