HONOLULU (KHON2) –Fabian Patterson, a personal trainer, is the owner of Change Iz Fitness. He has dedicated his life to helping others live healthier and happier.

However, he is not your typical fitness coach. Patterson served in the U.S. Army for 13.5 years and did three combat tours.

“I unknowingly got diagnosed with PTSD and as a result of that, one night I was sitting on the sofa, in the midst of a deep depression, and was about to commit suicide,” Patterson said, and he added that he began going to the gym — which gave him the will to live.

During that dark time in Patterson’s life, he said he not only worked out often but also began seeing a psychologist.

“It was then that it actually clicked for me that fitness is good, and psychology is good, but when you put them both together, it just forms a whole different dynamic,” he explained.

Over 10 years later, Patterson now helps his clients, not just with their fitness, but also their mental health.

“Most of the clients that I have, and the people that I come across, a lot of the issues that they struggle with have nothing to do with the workout itself. It’s mental illnesses that they deal with that’s preventing them from being healthy, preventing them from going to the gym and/or preventing them from eating the things that they need to eat to be healthy,” Patterson said.

Contact Fabian Patterson, here.