Christian singer and songwriter Brandon Lake has recently opened up about his personal battles with depression and "adrenaline fatigue" in a candid interview on the ‘General Leadership’ podcast hosted by his father, Mac Lake.
The 33-year-old musician, husband, and father of three, who’s also a part of Bethel Music, described a defining moment of realising his mental health was suffering. He shared how he experienced a sudden episode of depression, which led him to reach out to his close friends for support.
"Guys, I don't know what's going on right now," Lake recalled saying to them. "I've been home for a few days … and I don't recognise myself. I'm not myself. I'm freaking out. And I'm feeling compelled to just crash or do something crazy."
Lake said a turning point came when a friend, Micah, prayed over him via voice message: "As soon as he prayed over me, man … all of the weight and the craziness in that moment, it broke. I broke, but in a good way, which led to confession." In that moment, Lake broke down and wept, finding solace in his wife.
Lake further revealed that his depression stemmed from a period of transition a few years prior, as his career skyrocketed from being a local worship leader to national recognition. He signed a record deal, toured with Bethel Music, and collaborated with long-admired artists. However, the pressure and demands of this sudden fame took a toll on his mental and emotional well-being.
"I was starting to feel depression coming on," Lake confided. While he initially felt exhilarated by the whirlwind of opportunities, he admitted "I've heard it said that your body doesn't know the difference between good stress and bad stress, it just knows stress".
Lake realised that he needed professional help. He said at one point he wondered if people would be better off without him.
“I've started thinking in ways I've never thought, like being completely vulnerable. I even had a low moment. And y'all, this is like the span of a few hours, a few days. And I'm already thinking like, ‘Should I just leave this Earth? … I'm miserable. … Would they just be better without me? Does anybody love me? Am I even seen?’” he shared.
“I began to meet with Chip, my counsellor, my therapist, if you will, and he gave me language to understand what was happening.”
Lake said his therapist told him that he was suffering from adrenaline fatigue.
“I'd come off the road and I had no more adrenaline. And what that [does], is it attacks your emotional management system, your pain management system. And talking about health, it attacks your immune system. So you can easily, if you're somebody on the go and not giving yourself time to rest, you will get sick,” he explained.
“I began to talk with him [his therapist] and he gave me language for that, which brought about so much freedom. And [he] helped me with some tools to make sure I'm combating that”.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing issues discussed in this article, please contact Premier Lifeline.
Premier Lifeline is a national Christian confidential helpline open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) on 0300 111 0101.