This Men’s Health Week, Rogers’ Rise Above podcast highlights it’s never too late to counter stigma and seek help

As an eight-year-old scared to death of bedtime, Craig says he knew even as a child that something was off. But at that time, his OCD wasn’t quite something he could put into words.

“I knew it was not normal to be an eight-year-old going to bed scared to death how long it will take me to fall asleep,” Craig tells Rise Above podcast host, Andy Meddaugh, Rogers’ multimedia content supervisor, in Rogers’ most recent Rise Above podcast. “It was a different era … Men didn’t cry. Men didn’t show emotions. You just bottled it up and you were ‘tough,’ and that doesn’t work.”

From making sure his Legos were just right in childhood to hardly being able to leave the comfort of his home as an adult, Craig says he suffered in silence with untreated OCD for more than 40 years.

“I did not seek treatment. I did not ask for help, because I was scared,” Craig says. “Stigma was a huge reason that I threw away all those years of not getting help.”

At 51, Craig took a courageous step into the unknown, attending inpatient treatment at Rogers.

“It was very scary,” Craig says in the podcast. “By seven days in, I said, ‘you know what? This is the place. This is it. I can do this.’ … I am so glad I totally bought in, because it made all the difference.”

From a place of social anxiety and living as a self-described “shut-in,” Craig says he is now making phone calls, attending social events, and even greeting shoppers at a farmer’s market every Saturday where he and his wife sell items as part of their business.

“I’m back to healthy Craig. I am fun Craig,” he says. “I’m flexible with my schedule. It’s just great to be this Craig.”

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job at Rogers is talking with former patients,” Andy says. “Hearing their personal stories of resilience and perseverance truly inspires me every day. Craig’s interview serves as a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to seek support and acquire the tools necessary to manage mental health challenges.”

After feeling unable to voice his struggles for decades, Craig is now speaking up to encourage others to advocate for their health.

“If I talked to a younger male today, I would just say listen, don’t care about what anyone else thinks,” Craig says. “You’re going to give up years of your life for people that don’t even know you who cares what their opinion is? Get healthy, you’ll feel so much better because of it.”

In his podcast episode, Craig also opens up about the fear of treatment, bonding with fellow patients, and the importance of family. Listen to the full Rise Above episode here.