David grew up in a small town in Minnesota as the youngest of five children. Surrounded by older, accomplished siblings, he learned early that belonging felt like something he had to earn. As a child with undiagnosed ADHD, David was energetic, goofy, and always looking for a way to make people laugh. But when his behavior was repeatedly labeled as “too much,” he went from a kid who loved making others laugh to a kid who constantly feared being laughed at.
By third grade, David was struggling with trauma at home and began carrying a deep sense that something was wrong with him. In middle school, that belief turned into anxiety and perfectionism. He began carefully monitoring everything he said and did, eventually creating a “mask” that hid how much he was really struggling. Athletics became another way to prove his worth, and David pushed himself to excel in football, basketball, track, theater, choir, and speech. From the outside, he appeared successful. Inside, he was exhausted from constantly trying to be exceptional enough to finally belong.
By high school, the pressure became overwhelming. David eventually walked away from the activities and relationships that had once given his life meaning. As his isolation grew, so did his depression, and he began using self-harm and substances to cope with emotional pain. David continued to struggle and became desperate to feel anything, even if that “anything” was wrong. He began stealing, and was eventually arrested. David reached a breaking point. That night, he attempted to take his own life.
David survived, but he didn’t tell anyone what had happened. It wasn’t until his high school guidance counselor and father confronted him with compassion that David finally allowed himself to be seen without the mask. That moment became the beginning of his healing. With the support of his family, a therapist he connected with, and his own willingness to do the work, David began learning that his struggles did not make him broken—and that asking for help was a sign of strength, not weakness.
After graduating high school, David began sharing his story with students across the country. He later completed a 3,200-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., dedicated to mental health awareness, and went on to graduate school to become a therapist. Yet even as he became a nationally recognized mental health speaker, David discovered that there was still work to do. He realized he had traded one mask for another: becoming the person who could talk about healing without always allowing himself to be vulnerable enough to receive it.
Today, David speaks openly about mental health, trauma, perfectionism, suicide, vulnerability, and the ongoing process of recovery. His story is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t a finish line, asking for help isn’t failure, and belonging isn’t something we have to earn. David hopes that by sharing the parts of his story he once worked hardest to hide, young people will feel empowered to take off their own masks, reach out for support, and believe that a different future is possible.
David is based in Minneapolis, MN. In-person speaking engagements beyond 90 miles may require a fee for travel expenses.
