There’s so much abt this story that’s simply wrong.
When AB left the field in the fashion he did vs the Jets, I was adamant that the media was getting this all wrong: unfairly painting him as crazy/volatile, instead of seeing those actions as a indicative of things that must be underlying the behavior & even (w/o him realizing), a cry for help. I still stand by that.
But what I can’t stand by, is AB doing to this topic, what I chastised the media for. You simply cannot call – getting MH help (in any form – inpatient or outpatient, intensive or wkly), a “crazy house.” That’s not what it is…& it furthers the false perceptions that already pervade society.
Here was AB’s statement on HBO’s Real Sports:
“These guys at the Bucs tried to make an agreement with me to give me $200,000 to go to the crazy house so these guys could look like they know what they were talking about.”
So now we KNOW, from AB’s himself, before this incident, he was offered help by the team, & refused it, thinking getting help is for “crazies.”
When asked whether he thinks he needs MH help, AB responded: “I have mental wealth. I know a lot of people may not understand me, know how I look at things or don’t know how I react to emotional things, but it’s not for them to understand me. I’ve got a beautiful family, kids and people all across the world that look up to me.”
So now, bc you have family & respect for your game, you’re immune to MH struggles? Wow. If only it were that simple.
I’ve worked for sports teams/leagues my whole life starting at 16. I applaud orgs like the NFL & NBA who’ve required MH professionals to be employed by teams. But AB’s take/comments underscore a reality I’ve been screaming abt for some time: many players have NO IDEA what MH even is.
They, like most of society, believe MH is Mental Illness. These teams & leagues NEED culture bridges not just clinicians. Seeking help is not solely abt getting stamped w a disorder label. It’s abt life challenges, traumas, stresses, that dsyregulate the central nervous system. Until we teach this to players, coaches, TV personalities…these type of off-base comments will continue.
