Professional athletes are human too; Toronto’s own DeMar DeRozen leads the charge
During the NBA All-Star weekend on Feb. 17, Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan surprised many fans and friends when seemingly out of nowhere he posted the following tweet at 3 a.m.: “This depression get the best of me…”
Social media gives fans greater insight into the lives of professional athletes. But even so, it’s rare to see male athletes talk about something as stigmatized as their own mental health. Returning to Los Angeles brought back memories for DeRozan, a Compton, Calif. native, who told The Toronto Star that he sunk into a depression the night of the tweet, like he has many times since he was young. “It’s one of those things that no matter how indestructible we look, we’re all human at the end of the day. We’ve all got feelings. Sometimes it gets the best of you — times where everything in the whole world is on top of you,” DeRozan told The Star. Within hours of his tweet, thousands of fans and friends were reaching out, sending supportive messages over Twitter, and supporting him through this tough time.
DeRozan’s public message has also inspired other players to open up about their own experiences with mental health, which they may have closeted or never opened up about otherwise. This was true for Cleveland Cavaliers player, Kevin Love, who credited DeRozan in his Players Tribune article, “Everyone is going through something.”
Love, another star athlete, addressed the panic attack that he had during a game, which along with being physically debilitating, changed his perspective on mental health. He addressed the social stigma around talking about mental health and discussed why it tends to be so hard for men and boys to talk about it in public. “Growing up, you figure out quickly how a boy is supposed to act. Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through it on your own,” Love writes.Mental health issues affect everyone, and having professional athletes openly admit that they are dealing with the same things can be uplifting. It is inspiring to hear individuals who people admire speak up about such a prevalent, though often silent, issue. It makes it easier as a result for others to address their own mental health.
Another player, Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Washington Wizards, has spoken up recently about his own mental health, according to Forbes magazine. Discussing their issues, both professionally and publicly, seems to have helped these athletes. DeRozan said that it felt great to speak out, according to The Star. Love wrote in his article that going to therapy was a huge step in the right direction for him, even though he never thought he would go. Stigma around mental illness will continue to dissipate as athletes provide more glimpses into their daily struggles. Being able to relate makes it much easier for others to open up about this topic. If successful people are sharing their own stories and struggles, then it will become easier for others to share theirs.
Feature photo Courtesy Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images