According to the search results, Rick Ness is a veteran gold miner who has been part of the Gold Rush show for ten years. In the 13th season of the show, he entered an emotional tailspin and addressed his depression early on in the season. Ness revealed to Zee that he suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) . In the second episode of the season, fans get a deeper look at why Zee was so shocked to see Rick in the state that he is in. Rick appears disheveled, but tells Zee that he is working on a car in the garage and wants to speak in there. Zee asks Rick if hes okay, only to have him respond and say that hes alright and "still standing". Ness found it difficult to accept that his depression would restrict his options. After Ricks mother passed away, the sadness began. Rick stopped before stating that he still owned her home and had not changed since she died. Then he claimed he hadnt visited the home in two years. Ness sold his moms house and hoped to rebuild what was lost with Brian “Zee” Zaremba by his side. Past gambles have paid off in the past where he not long ago recorded a record season of $3.6 million in gold. Ness has been absent from several episodes of the show, and in one of the episodes, he mentioned that the previous gold mining season drained him, and he was suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Ness has been posting positive messages on Facebook, and in February 2023, he asked if any mechanics might be interested in joining his crew, implying he might be gearing up for work again.