>> tamron: that's a clip from comedian gary gulman is hbo special.th saving his life. that's a big responsibility for someone to have. >> it is, it's big and overwhelming and in the midst of that, you don't think about it as saving their lif it's just a desperate day today, let's try to salvage some normalcy and keep something together. n: you are a comedian as well, you get the ups and downs of it. you were at a breaking point, you told her to leave, you didn't want her to stick around for this ride. >> i baker dunleavy because i was feeling guilty about what i was taking away from her life and what a bird and i on her. but she doubled her efforts. i am confessing to a crime here but she grew mushrooms in our house because she had read an article about mushrooms helping people with depression. >> tamron: illegal mushrooms, that is what they call a ride or die kind of wife. gary, how did this turn into years later, three years later, you fall in love, she helps you through this and you get this hbo special, what was the pitch like? >> i said, how can

you might all know comedian gary gulman. he's giving thanks and giving back.ad in his fight with severe treatment resistant depression and giving back because his new hbo comedy special "the great depresh" makes you laugh. i was so deeply moved that i decided i wanted to meet him. and luckily, i have a tv show, so you can meet him, too. >> over the years, i have tried zoloft, paxil, afexa, cylexa, aprexa. at one point my doctor said let's just try drugs that rhyme. thank you, dr. seuss. >> comedian gary gulman makes jokes about his depression because he has to. >> i was so clearly in distress. my hands were shaking. i acknowledged that i was sick, and i started to write jokes about it because that's the most comfortable i am is when i'm being funny. so i started saying things like, have you ever gotten recognized in the psyche ward? >> it's a true story. you were recognized in the psyche ward? >> yes. yes. the day i got there, a man came up to me and said, i won't tell anybody, but you're gary gulman, or am i crazy? >> i grew up at a time the definition of man

this comedian gary gulman, he's been open about using laughter

i'm so glad that i stick around for this. [ applause ] >> specials to gary gulman.you or someone you know is struggling, call the national suicide prevention life line at 1-800-273-8255. we'll be right back. pen in your. wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. making wrinkles look so last week. rapid wrinkle repair® pair with retinol oil for 2x the wrinkle fighting power. neutrogena® i'm a regular in my neighborhood. i'm a regular at my local coffee shop and my local barber shop. when you shop small you help support your community - from after school programs to the arts! so become a regular, more regularly. because for every dollar you spend at a small business, an average of 67 cents stays in the community. join me and american express today, small business saturday, and see how shopping small adds up. audrey's on it. eating right and staying active? on it! audrey thinks she's doing all she can to manage her type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but is her treat

the day i got there, a man came up to me, he said, i won't tell anybody, but you're -- you're gary gulmanrazy? i grew up at a time the definition of manhood was so narrow. you were either clint eastwood or you were richard simmons. there was nothing in between. there were no paul rudds. laugher laugh no ki [ laughter ] no kind eyed mark ruffalos. >> reporter: his new film is a chronicle of his journey back two years ago from a near-fatal battle with treatment resistant depression. you said you were afraid you would never get better. >> yeah. i wasn't communicating. i didn't feel good about anything. there was nothing i looked forward to. and -- and i spent a lot of time trying to think of painless suicides. yeah. >> reporter: he was forced to step back from comedy, admitted himself to the hospital twice and more. >> my psychiatrist is an advocate for and an expert in something called electroconvulsive therapy which used to be called electroshock therapy, but they felt electroshock was not quite horrifying enough. they said, yes, electroshock is disturbing, but i feel like we're soft-selli