Pro Athletes Among Those In Society That Suffer From Symptoms Of Depression
It’s late in the second half, and your team is down. As one of the team’s top receivers, you line up split to the left. At the snap of the ball, you take off on a deep route and run by the defender as the quarterback hoists a fifty-yard bomb in your direction. The ball is airborne for what seems like a lifetime, and you try to focus. But your mind keeps veering off to replay events from the last few days. You drop the ball.
At first, everybody, including you, assumes you had a blip. After all, this is what you do best. You have always been known for having great hands. But you’ve also been out of character off the field—nodding off in team meetings, feeling lethargic, sensing anxiety in your relationship at home and becoming numb to criticism. You don’t understand why you feel this way, and you’re beginning not to care.
Now consider this: The same thing happens on the field, but this time instead of missing the catch because your mind is distracted, you miss it because you experience a pain in your chest—a pain so sharp it feels like someone is trying to rip your heart out. You fall to your knees, grab your side and rip off your helmet. You wander off by yourself, because you are certain you will die if you can’t catch your breath, and you fear your teammates are sucking up all the air.
You are probably thinking that the man in the second scenario is experiencing a heart attack, appendicitis or an asthma attack, and he needs immediate medical attention. You are also probably thinking that the man in the first scenario needs to get his act together. Or perhaps you are the exception, and you understand that the first man is also ill—he suffers from depression.
Every year, depression affects roughly 33 to 35 million people. Too often, it’s considered a disease that affects women or seniors, but according to Dr. Kennise Herring, a psychologist who has spent years working with professional athletes and students, that’s far from reality.
“Depression is a human disease, and many of us—no matter our age or gender–will suffer from it at some point in our lives,” Herring said. “Depression is a serious biologically based disease, just like heart disease or lung disease. And just like these diseases, left untreated, it can rob us of our vitality and–in too many instances–our life.”
Unfortunately, some NFL players suffer from depression and other mental illnesses quietly because they don’t realize that help is available, or they feel ashamed to get help for a non-physical illness.
“I think it would be difficult for many players to acknowledge that they were depressed because of its perception,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrrick Dunn. “People see [NFL players] as theses big strong athletes that have everything, and depression may be perceived as being weak.”
Dunn said he must have gone months–earlier in his decade-long NFL career—without smiling. “Depression prevents you from enjoying life,” he said. “I stayed to myself, and there was a dark cloud that just followed me wherever I went. I felt like someone had stolen my joy.”
People suffering from depression often find that those close to them—family members or teammates—don’t realize the seriousness of the disease and consequently, cannot offer much support.
“People didn’t understand what I was going through,” Dunn said. “They would tell me I just needed to get myself together, as though I could just press a button and be the individual that they once knew.”
NFLPA Director of Player Development Stacy Robinson said there is such a social stigma around mental illnesses that they are more dreaded than physical illnesses.
“We love to say, ‘Man up,’ ‘No pain, no gain’ or ‘Tough it out,’ Robinson said. “Somehow, going to see a psychiatrist, physiologist or social worker is seen as ‘soft.’ Many players don’t seek help from a mental health specialist, because they believe no one else can help them. We have been made to feel ashamed of having a ‘soft’ illness, but let me tell you, depression is anything but soft. Depression grabs you and holds you down like five 300-pound linemen.”
Those suffering from depression may struggle with loss of concentration, insomnia, irritability, loss of appetite for food and sex, sadness and feelings of guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness. People who deal with depression by drinking or self-medicating are putting themselves at risk of compounding depression with other serious problems.
According to Herring, there is no more shame in experiencing depression than there is in having asthma, heart disease, cancer or any of a number of illnesses that greatly impact performance. “Depression is strong and powerful,” she said, “but with the right combination of therapies–usually prescribed pills and talk therapy–depression can be sent packing into remission.”
- NFL Players.com
