About Eric

Eric Kussin is the founder and CEO of The SameHere Global Mental Health Movement, a nonprofit organization focused on mental health.

Eric didn’t start his career in the mental health space. No, he was going in a very different direction. After graduating with honors from Cornell, he spent many years as a professional sports executive, starting his career with a long stint at the NBA League Office, and then transitioning to management positions with such teams as the Chicago Sky, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Devils, and Florida Panthers. Eric was in the midst of this ascending career when a debilitating mental health crisis stopped his life in its tracks.

Due to unresolved personal life traumas he failed to appropriately address at a younger age – life experiences he was unaware were affecting his mental health – Eric developed a severe bout of PTSD, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

It was like being sacked by a monster right before making the throw of your football career.

Sidelined, Eric spent two and a half years almost permanently in bed with severe cognitive impairments. This was a strange and disorienting turn of events for someone who was used to going hard, being the guy, and always having more in the tank.

He underwent many failed treatments, including trying over 50 combinations of prescription medications, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), IV Ketamine, as well as Electro-Convulsive Therapy. Eventually, he was told that he was "treatment-resistant."

But he never gave up, and after being introduced to integrative and holistic approaches to treat his mind, body and central nervous system, slowly, he began to climb out of the abyss.

On his path to mental wellbeing, Eric became determined to share his story of challenges and triumphs, and in an effort to help others he launched the #SameHere Global Mental Health Movement. The nonprofit is comprised of athletes, celebrities, expert practitioners, advocates, and everyday heroes who’ve come together to normalize society’s perception of mental health and make it part of our everyday conversation.

Eric and the SameHere movement are determined to spread his message: that EVERYONE in the world is affected by life’s inevitable traumas and stresses. We can’t escape them, as they are part of the human experience, but they impact everyone differently.