Depression, How The Secret Service Saved Her Life

Depression, How The Secret Service Saved Her Life, Special Episode. When people think of the United States Secret Service, they imagine dark suits, earpieces, and agents stepping between danger and the nation's most powerful figures. But for former Secret Service Special Agent Melanie Lentz, the mission to protect didn’t end at the perimeter of a VIP, it ultimately became a lesson in protecting herself. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast episode is available for free on their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most major podcast platforms.

At just 22 years old, Lentz made history as one of the youngest female agents ever hired by the Secret Service. With no prior military or law enforcement background, she entered training as an outlier. But she was determined. “I sold myself on being trainable,” Melanie explains. “I may not have had the experience, but I had the work ethic.” Follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium and most all social media platforms.

Over nearly a decade, Lentz protected world leaders and dignitaries, including her final assignment with Former First Lady Nancy Reagan in Los Angeles. Behind the badge and the ponytail, however, was a woman fighting a battle that no agency could prepare her for, the slow collapse of her personal life and her mental health. Look for supporting stories about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium, Blogspot and Linkedin.

Following the death of Mrs. Reagan in 2016, Lentz made the painful decision to leave the Secret Service. At the same time, she was going through a divorce and grappling with depression, a condition that left her questioning her worth and wondering how to move forward. Depression, How The Secret Service Saved Her Life. Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.

“Depression isn't something you just snap out of,” Lentz says. “I felt like I was falling apart, and I didn’t recognize the person I had become.” But she soon realized that the rigorous training and protective instincts instilled in her as an agent could be redirected inward, toward self-preservation and healing.

In her deeply personal book, Agent Innocent: How the Secret Service Changed My Life, Lentz shares how the very principles that helped her protect others ultimately helped save her own life. “I was surrounded by protection for years,” she writes. “Yet I failed to protect myself, until I realized that I was worth saving, too.” You can listen to his stories and interview on our website for free in addition to platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.

Today, Lentz is not just an author but a speaker, fitness fan, and small business owner. She runs a personal training business focused on mental and physical wellness, encouraging others, especially women, to embrace the strength within. “I remind people that they’re worth protecting, just like the dignitaries I once served,” she shares.

Her story is one of vulnerabili