Nathan Dean Shares How Family Support Helps Him Navigate Mental Health

On April 12, we reported that General Hospital (GH) spoilers for the next two weeks cover the return of Nathan Dean (Ethan Lovett) to Port Charles. Well, on that same day, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) sat down with Nathan and he opened up about tragedy and depression. Read on to find out more, but caution: the story involves the triggering subject of a death by unaliving.  

Mental Health Is Always On The Agenda

With Maurice Benard, every State of Mind episode eventually turns to mental health. Actually, it’s his mission in life away from the ABC set to help others through his own experiences. And, those of his many guests. Well, in the case of the real-life Ethan Lovett, trauma came early for him. That’s because he lost his brother, Jared in 2018.

If you don’t know, Jared passed away a few weeks after his mom celebrated a birthday. Then, he took his own life. Notably, no pre-existing signs of a problem happened. So naturally, it was hard on the family. But for Nathan Dean, it seemed very troubling. In his chat with Maurice Benard, he explained that he’d already struggled with depression since the age of about “11, 12 years old.”

How Does He Cope Nowadays?

Everyone who ever struggled with anxiety or depression always needs advice. How do others deal with the same problems they face? In the case of Nathan Dean, he gives a lot of credit to his wife, Kate. And he’s not the first person to explain how much family and friends who are supportive help a lot. In fact, Maurice often talks about that.

Nathan explained how she nurtures him, adding:

We’ve only been together for four or five years, but there is never a moment that goes by where she doesn’t check…And that is such a blessing… No one should have to take on our mental [problems], but they willingly do.

Love Helps Not Hurts

If you are an old-time General Hospital fan, you probably recall the old song, Love Hurts by The Everly Brothers. Well, it doesn’t hold true for either Maurice Benard or for Nathan Dean. When Nathan talked about Kate’s support, Maurice told him simply, “I know. It’s love.”

Nathan agreed, but said that until he met Kate, he simply didn’t understand it very well. Being older of course, Maurice knows about love a lot. It took him a while to appreciate how much love helps. In fact, he talked about “40 years” of his wife, Paula putting up with his issues. Sometimes, when he doesn’t want to “take it anymore,” she just seems to know his needs.

Viewers React

In the comments section, many GH followers seemed grateful about the candid conversation. One of them penned, “I want my brother to watch this. Having 2 men talk so honestly about depression, anxiety and grief might give him the strength to speak to a professional for his depression and self esteem. I want to thank you both because I agree, one person will be saved because of your talk today.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• Heavy and yet still hopeful. Like life. Good to have Dodge back on board.
• Maurice and Nathan, two men sharing the truth about mental health. We all suffer at one time or another and it’s absolutely VITAL to talk about it!!! Talking and sharing helps and Thank you so much!!
• Thank you, Moe and Nathan, for sharing your feelings and emotions with us. It always helps me to know that I’m not alone. No matter how hard it gets, there is someone else who knows and understands what you are going through.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.

Help is Always Available:

As you can see from the chat that Maurice Benard and Nathan Dean had on State of Mind, you don’t have to struggle alone. Reaching out isn’t a sign of weakness, and there are people ready to listen without judgment, 24/7.

• In the US: Dial or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• In the UK: Call 111 or contact Samaritans at 116 123.
• In Canada: Call or text 988 for the Suicide Crisis Helpline.