What an absolutely incredible story. I usually dog on Passan and ESPN but this is so well written and such an amazing story. Bravo. It’s a long read but definitely worth it. Apologies if posted elsewhere—must’ve missed it. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...utfielder-drew-robinson-remarkable-second-act
Read it yesterday. Had me near tears at work. What an incredible story and a reminder that these guys are humans just like the rest of us. Every professional sports team needs to have him come in and speak to their team. Just an absolutely unbelievable story. It’s also apparently streaming on ESPN+ platform as an E:60 special. Would love to watch it.
Depression and suicidal ideation can attack anybody. Anybody. That was a really good article. I am not a doctor or mental health professional, but I am usually very surprised when a young athlete is depressed because they are likely getting enough exercise, sunlight, and are eating right. In those cases I suspect there is real childhood trauma that hasn’t been properly processed, but I also wonder how the person was sleeping. My anecdotal experience is that not getting proper sleep can completely destroy a persons mental health and if that’s not fixed then nothing else really matters. For anyone reading this who suffers from depression and suicidal thoughts, I have dealt with it for going on 20 years, and only in the last 2 years have I finally felt like I learned how to really deal with it. I wouldn’t say I’m “cured”, but I have figured out how to prevent the most dangerous lows and the last 2 years have been the highest quality of life I have had as an adult. After trying every single on-label anti-depressant without success, after years of therapy and religion, after trying many, many off-label or otc drugs/supplements, it was these 7 things that helped me: 1. Get at least 7 hours of real sleep every night. For me this meant blocking off 10 hours to be in bed, in a quiet, dark room, every night. I feel this helped more than anything. 2. Exercise at least 3 hours per week. The more rigorous the better but even a few 30 minute walks per week made me feel a lot better. Exercise (for me, going for a 3 mile run) is also the best way to feel better instantly/quickly when you are really down. 3. Eating right; for me this meant avoiding caffeine and alcohol while making sure I got plenty of fiber, vitamins and protein. 4. Take time every day (even just 1 second) to practice gratitude. 5. Get outside for at least 30 minutes every day. 6. Talk to another person everyday. Isolation is bad. 7. Accomplish one thing every day. Whether that’s a simple chore like making the bed or whatever, just doing one thing like that consistently can have a big impact. Of course anyone considering killings themselves should immediately get help from a medical professional. But in all my years of seeing doctors to try to treat my depression, none of them ever focused on my physical health (sleep, exercise, diet) as a potential cause of my mental health problems; I had to figure that out on my own, and it has made all the difference, so I highly recommend trying that for anyone who is suffering. Good luck to anyone who is dealing with depression, and remember: as long as you stay alive, there is hope for better days ahead.
We love you Snake! I know ClutchFans can be grounds for snarky arguments/disagreements, but I genuinely always look forward to your posts and appreciate the insight that goes into them. Maybe that’s the journalism major in me, but I hope you know that this community enjoys your musings as much as I do!
Absolutely tremendous piece by ESPN. I know we all crack on ESPN for their journalism or lack there of sometimes but this article really hit home for me. Had me in tears multiple times reading this at home. I've struggled off and on with depression for about 16 years now. Some days are good days and some days are not so good days. I've tried one hell of a lot of antidepressants and I'm relatively stable on what I'm on now. I accept that most likely I will be on them for life, but I'm OK with that. I trust my doctor and I also see a therapist on a weekly basis. I'm also looking to try this Ketamine based nasal spray for depression in hopes that it can alleviate the negative cloud that follows me around too often for my liking. I do a lot of the right things, except for sleep. I've accepted that's an uphill battle for life. I exercise every day for at least 45 mins. I attend 12 step support group meetings. I have a wonderful woman who I get to call my wife who I've known for the past 5 years. She's really made a difference. I also try and get together with a friend for breakfast at least once a week. As @Snake Diggit said, isolation is the real killer and can be a huge factor in staying in a low or depressed state. Snake, kudos to you as well for sharing your story. I sincerely hope you continue to find peace and that you continue to share your story with others just as you did here. It's not easy, but it sounds like you've really come far. At any rate, an incredible story and while I've never been suicidal I know all too well what the dark depths of depression look like. Mental health is no joke and should be taken seriously.
Depending on your state of mind, it can be really hard to do those things regardless of lifestyle. For me, it was harder to do some of those things as a single person than it has been as a married dude. Just like any kind of self-improvement, it takes effort and you have to make getting better a priority. Depression can be severe enough to make most things impossible; for people in that situation I would highly recommend seeing a psychiatrist. Getting on the right med or therapy for a few months might break the cycle and give you the opening to shift priorities and establish some new habits. Also, if your wife doesn’t know you’re depressed, tell her. If she does know and isn’t helping or is actively preventing you from helping yourself, then that’s a separate problem that needs addressing. Good luck man.
Nobody ever would have known it back in the day. I was popular HS kid, sports captains, student body president, bullsh!t "smartest guy in the room"...I was so internally insecure and slightly miserable at the same time, and I didn't know why until later. So I self-medicated. It came to a head in my early 20's during college, but I was amazing at just pretending, and still...self-medicating. My mid=-20s changed my life, I had a woman-related breakdown (had to return an engagement ring, that's a low point), looked real hard at a shotgun in my closet, and decided to go another direction. Whoever you are, wherever you are, do not look down on medication and therapy. It does not mean you are weak. It takes a man (or woman) to ask for help. You may not need it forever, but at least please try it at the start.
On a general note, I'm really surprised that outside of like 3 or 4 people in this thread... no one else seems to struggle much with depression or mental illness. For a thread of this magnitude to have only 11 , 12 replies is crazy. Maybe the hangout would have been better to post it in? I don't know.
How many ppl read it, though? Great thread is great. Regardless of volume of replies (better, actually; less nonsense to weed through).
I've read it twice now, not something I've personally struggled with but I hope it does help someone that does.