Keeping My Eye On The Prize

       I had a great conference call this morning with a couple colleagues, Sue Veldkamp and Ray Singletary. One point that stood out was that I really need to 'stay in my lane' when it comes to sharing my story. It's become evident that, in my true bipolar fashion, I've strayed a bit from my goal of spreading awareness. I've been writing more about my 'recovery' than the fact I had to recognize there was something(anxiety/bipolar/depression) to recover from in the first place.
  
      In order to break the stigma of mental illness, the first order of business is to recognize that bipolar disorder and depression exist. The biggest hurdle for those suffering, and their family member for that matter, is to know it's 'OK' to reach out for help. In the past 10 years ,especially in the competitive athletic arena, anxiety and depression have been treated as a taboo subject. Due to the lack of information, society has viewed anxiety and depression as a weakness; causing most athletes to be very hesitant in seeking help.

     It wasn't until recently that the reality of anxiety and depression(in professional sports) has been exposed. With the likes of Terry Bradshaw, Ricky Williams, Delonte West( and the much publicized Super Bowl saga of Barrett Robbins for that matter) finally 'coming out',  society has slowly begun to understand there is an issue that needs to be addressed.

   The only way this stigma can be broken is for us to continue an open dialog, study and shed more light on this all too common disease(s). Please take the time to share your stories and help me come up with ideas on how I can achieve these goals.

    Thanks in advance - GM