The recent tragic loss of the 23yr old Olympic medalist in cycling to suicide prompted me to put my feelings on this slide. The news stories printed yesterday all focused on “How big the problem of suicide is in Olympic/Collegiate Athletics.”
As a society, as a group of citizens, as governments, as what should be a responsible media, we must recognize that there are dots to be connected & this isn’t just a 30yr coincidence – we have a SOCIETAL suicide issue, not geared toward any one group or segment, exclusively. Please note, I’m not downplaying veteran suicide. 22 vets lost per day is horrific. It must stop. While the percentages differ, the affect of stress/trauma on most all professions, & how we fail to address it is awful – actors, musicians, lawyers, doctors, plumbers, small biz owners, homemakers, etc…it does not discriminate.
When are we going to stop talking about this as an issue specific to the stresses/experiences of certain groups, & start realizing that stress & trauma affect us ALL? Career & diagnosis labels & justifications stop us from addressing the issue at large: we have a global epidemic, & we must address it as one.
Big props to our host, Kyle, for producing our first full episode of the @samehereshow. I had a ton of fun with you. It’s listed as “Episode 2” after our pilot episodes, & gave me a chance to reflect on the 2.5 years of my fight in the greatest detail I have since I first wrote the piece that led to a WAALC in June of ‘17. We touched (very fittingly per the above) on feelings of suicidal ideations. It also gave us a chance to talk about the roadmap for the #SameHere Movement.
It’s available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, & Stitcher, as well as the @samehereshow page likable in the scroll on our homepage. We have interviews coming up with a number of our Celeb Alliance members, so please check out the page & this full episode. Thanks
