Lyft founder John Zimmer reveals "major" stress that has led to "bad thought cycles" and depression

The president of the popular ride-sharing app, which aims to remove the stigma of post-depressive illness, speaks as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Lyft President John Zimmer knows what it's like to lose sleep at night when awake and to worry about the issues that interfere with your day.

That's because it's been a long time coming, the 38-year-old Lyft co-founder told PEOPLE.

He recalled about seven to eight years ago, Zimmer lived with "sleep deprivation, inferior quality," he recalls. "I can't stop the negative thoughts."

"Uber raised [more than] $3 billion from the Saudi government. We recently went from minors to adults," said Zimmer of the early days of the two brands.

The question is complicated because his Silicon Valley counterpart has "very different values," he said. (There have been several lawsuits involving competitors over the years. In 2017, for example, a group of Lyft drivers filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber for allegedly using software called Hell to trick their drivers; according to the Los Angeles track Times: The case was eventually dismissed. In September 2018. news reached out to Uber for comment.)

Adding to his woes, Lyft nearly collapsed at one point; Zimmer said, "We waited five months. If we spent five months in a row the same amount we're spending right now, there would be zero in the bank account."

"Incredible," added Zimmer, who co-founded Lyft with his friend, company CEO, Logan Green and is now in good health. "We are a mission-driven company, and because I love investing in a cause, I've linked my well-being and identity to it."

It got to the point where Zimmer struggled to get "perspective outside of Lyft," he explained. "When the company went through a crisis back then, it became internal. There were exact times when I didn't believe the business would survive, and that was very important to me internally."