SIMONE BILES AND NAOMI OSAKA

And Michael Phelps.

Aly Raisman.

Andrew Luck.

Ronda Rousey.

Abby Wambaugh.

DeMar DeRozan.

Kevin Love.

Steve Mesler…

A handful of high-profile names, publicly and willingly intertwining themselves with the issue of mental health.

In an effort — among others — to blast to smithereens, the stigma associated with the subject matter.

Mental health is a universal reality; it’s part of being human, just like physical health.

The difference is that one’s mental health may not be as starkly visible to the lay eye of another, as, say, a physical injury for example.

You can’t live in somebody else’s head.

Which is why mega-luminaries such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, among all others, deserve a break, in the form of compassion and empathy.

Their bravery and courage are unmatched.

They are not weak.

Quite to the contrary.

They are human.

And as Love has simply but sagely noted, “everyone goes through it.”

“Mental health isn’t just an athlete thing. What you do for a living doesn’t have to define who you are. This is an everyone thing.”

“Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.”

“The reality is that we probably have a lot in common with what our friends and colleagues and neighbors are dealing with.

So I’m not saying everyone should share all their deepest secrets — not everything should be public and it’s every person’s choice.

But creating a better environment for talking about mental health…that’s where we need to get to.”

— Kevin Love

Bravo, Kevin!

Mental health crises are very common; the specifics vary across the board.

About 30% of college students in the general population, for instance, face and address depression or anxiety.

48% of female collegiate athletes have reported symptoms of anxiety.

Female gymnasts are more likely to struggle with eating disorders.

Different segments of the population deal with different challenges, but, generally, mental health crises are not rare.

Hardly.

Especially now.

In terms of elite/professional athletes, Athletes for Hope, an association whose mission is to educate, encourage and assist their clientele, maintains that 35% of this grouping “suffer from a mental health crisis which may manifest as stress, eating disorders, burnout, or depression and anxiety.”

One in three.

The takeaway?

They are not only not immune, they are human.

Like us.

We’re all the same, that way.

Elite athletes represent a small percentage of the ‘athlete’ population.

Mitchell Greene, a clinical and sports psychologist, has stated in Psychology Networker that among college athletes, depression and anxiety “are at epidemic proportions right now.”

And that was noted by him, pre-pandemic.

In the wake of the pandemic — oxymoron aside — a survey of 37,000 college athletes found that “the rates of mental health concerns were 150% to 250% higher than those historically reported.”

Additionally, the survey discovered that roughly one-third of athletes struggle with sleep difficulties; one-quarter feel a sense of loss; and 10% are depressed to a level that renders day-to-day functioning arduous.

Openness and communication are key.

Bottom line: you are not alone, and connecting with others for support can help.

Phelps says, “ask for help.”

Raisman cautions that “healing is not linear.”

Luck advises to “make the right decision for YOU.”

Rousey explains that “mental illness is not a weakness.”

Wambaugh’s edict?

“Do not be ashamed.”

DeRozan makes it clear that “no one is indestructible.”

Love soothingly reiterates that “everyone is going through something that we can’t see.”

And then there is me.

There is I.

I used to love driving.

Late model vehicles, showroom shiny.

I drove everywhere, always.

Long distance?

No problem.

It was enjoyable; it was fun; it was relaxing.

No more.

I do not own a car.

I will not drive a car — for now.

The thought of it makes me uncomfortable.

Uneasy.

It is angst-provoking.

I don’t even like riding shotgun.

What happened?

I don’t know.

But I do know that I’m neither ashamed nor unhappy about it.

And I certainly don’t mind talking about it.

In fact, I feel better, just having done so.

[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in August 2021.]