Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Eshelman.
Hi Devin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Walking into the Light: A Summary of Devin Eshelman’s Story
Raised in San Diego by divorced parents, I enjoyed a happy, active youth filled with volleyball and surfing. But when I left for UC Berkeley, I struggled with isolation, poor coping mechanisms, and eventually spiraled into deep depression. I self-medicated with excessive marijuana use, and soon diagnosed with bipolar and later schizoaffective disorder. I don’t mind sharing more about my episodes of psychosis.
My lowest point became the turning point. After running out of hope, at 19 years old, I attempted suicide by jumping from a three-story building, resulting in a spinal cord injury that me as a complete paraplegic. I tell people that is the destruction a severe mental illness can do without proper treatment.
Beginning in the rehab at Sharp Kearny Mesa, the will to live started coming back. The physical disability ended up helping with my symptoms of depression and mania because I had to focus so much on my disabled body. The right doctors and therapists, medication, support, new coping skills, and on and on. It was like the formula just all came together for me to not just survive, but thrive…
I began a new life moving forward in my resilient spirit. I earned a psychology degree (Associate’s), became a certified Medi-Cal peer support specialist, and worked for several mental health organizations including NAMI San Diego, CRF Community Research Foundation and currently part-time with Strive Relay program. I also teach a weekly program called Neurodiversity Gifts with Josh Roberts (he connected me with Voyager).
I speak about wellness, spirituality and peer support. I still don’t like the term mental illness or even mental health. I believe its better for me to focus on mental, physical, and spiritual wellness.
I am a passionate wheelchair athlete and compete year round in adaptive surfing, wheelchair tennis, and pickleball. I have been married for almost 9 years to another wheelchair tennis athlete. I have discovered from the disabled community that our physical disabilities have strengthened our faith in God.
After waking up from a coma in a rehab hospital, I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus through the testimony of a former cartel member. In my hospital bed, I surrendered my life to Christ and experienced immediate spiritual transformation. It took me from being able bodied to needing a wheelchair to learn that God was real, I had a purpose, and I was not alone. Guess what, I would not trade this story for anything. Life is as good as it used to be, even better.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Growing up in a divorced household shaped much of my early understanding of relationships and stability. As I navigated adolescence, I struggled to find a sense of identity on the m inside but became the “golden child” on the outside. My perfectionism got me into UC Berkeley. Only in Northern California did I begin the path of marijuana addiction. At the time, it felt like a way to quiet the chaos inside, but it only deepened my disconnect from myself and others. Interesting note how I had no signs or symptoms of any mental m illness before I began my relationship with marijuana.
After I dropped out, I put my family through a year and a half of hell. I was battling psychosis, severe depression, guilt, shame, and intense loneliness, all while being consumed by selfishness. My parents were overwhelmed and unsure how to help, ultimately resorting to boarding me as they bore the weight of my unraveling. That time in my life is still vague and painful to revisit. I can still feel the deep selfishness I carried—something that didn’t feel like me, but consumed me nonetheless.
In 2003, I experienced a moment of profound crisis that culminated in jumping headfirst from a three-story balcony. The physical repercussions were severe, but the emotional and psychological aftermath was even more complex. That event became a turning point—a stark reflection of the pain I had been carrying and the urgent need for healing. Over the years, I’ve been diagnosed with several mental health conditions, including depression, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and most recently, ADHD. Each diagnosis brought its own set of challenges, but also clarity and a framework to begin understanding my mind.
Relationships have often mirrored my internal struggles. Pride and ego sometimes served as armor, protecting a deep-seated sense of inferiority.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Certified Peer Support Specialist
– use my lived experience to relate, inspire and experience transformation
– I like the word transformation better than recovery
– I like to use wellness more than illness
Wrote a 120p memoir in the publishing process
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I already mentioned my top 3:
You have a purpose
God is real
You are not alone
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/MCmqTJS0_S4?si=ZGW6sVYYWDjQDmZV
Image Credits
Photos in this Google doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qjCZ2mrWqSE3hxD-Q8pcOxSysY1ccFjeZrqJ3vOFUmI/edit?tab=t.0
