These Athletes Nix The Notion That Mental Illness Makes You Weak
Sports are regarded as tough in our culture, and mental health complications are often seen as a contradiction to that narrative. Mental health is an invisible thing, but it touches all of us at some point or another.” ―Kevin Love Thearon W. Henderson via Getty Images In a moving essay for The Player’s Tribune, NBA star Kevin Love detailed his personal experience with panic attacks and therapy, and discussed why everyone should take mental health seriously. “We need to accept that mental illness is a disease — and like any other disease, it needs stronger research, early screening and treatment, especially for young people.” ―Brandon Marshall Icon Sportswire via Getty Images New York Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall became a public advocate for mental health following his diagnosis of borderline personality disorder in 2011. In a piece for HuffPost, Marshall talked about his condition and why doctors and patients need to take mental illness seriously, saying it’s like any other condition and needs “stronger research, early screening and treatment, especially for young people.” Marshall also discussed his mental health and how being in the NFL can help bring awareness to the issue in a 2017 essay for The Players Tribune. “You feel like because you’re not happy — when you should be happy — that you’re hurting people around you and a burden.” ―Imani Boyette Randy Belice via Getty Images WNBA star Imani Boyette opened up about her experience with depression and self harm in an interview with USA Today, saying that the illness has a way of making you believe life would be better if you didn’t exist.
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