James Donaldson on Mental Health - What does the Bible teach about mental health and suicide?

By Ashley Stanton

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Jarrid Wilson, Darrin Patrick, Andrew Stoecklein, Isaac Hunter, Ed Montgomery, David Treadway, Teddy Parker Jr. Some of these names may sound familiar to you. That’s because they made the news as pastors who have died by suicide. The death of anyone by suicide is shocking and heartbreaking. But when it’s a pastor—a spiritual leader—the aftermath is even more devastating.

Jarrid Wilson was an associate pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. He was a mental health advocate and spoke openly about related issues. On the morning of September 10, 2019, Wilson tweeted:

“Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. He ALWAYS does that.”

“He’s in hell, man.” “Did have the Holy Spirit?”

Later that night, Jarrid Wilson ended his life. Many responded to the news online, questioning Wilson’s faith and his decision to take his life. These are just a handful of tweets and Facebook comments:

“When you are full of Christ, there will be no room for depression or frustration. The fullness of Christ in you will choke it out.”

“Truly, Jesus could have delivered you from all those afflictions but you decided not to let Him take control of your situation and rather you focus on what your human eye saw. Now you have many believing this
. . . not true!”

“He’s in hell, man.”

“Did have the Holy Spirit?”

Not every response was like this. Some offered sincere condolences to Wilson’s family, shared their fondest memories and thanked him for how he had helped others overcome difficulties. But when Jarrid Wilson took his own life, it sparked a discussion online in comment sections and opinion pieces alike. At the root of many of these conversations were people trying to reconcile Wilson’s faith in God with his final action. Was there truth to the sentiment that he just didn’t love God enough?

is faith enough?

 Jesus spoke quite radically about the power of prayer. He said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). He even went so far as to say that if you have faith with no doubt, your faith can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). So it’s understandable that Christians would apply this logic to mental health struggles. Surely if the afflicted prays fervently enough and has faith, God could cure their mental illness.

It’s important to note the biblical authors don’t write about mental illness in the same way we talk about it today. But they do frequently mention times people had been struck down by physical illness: lepers, a woman who bled for 12 years, paraplegics and more. If you’ve read the stories, you’ll know Jesus healed many of these people because of their faith in Him.

In the case of the woman who bled for 12 years, this is what Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, said of her affliction: “A woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment” (Matthew 9:20–22).

This is one of many examples of how someone was healed because of their belief that Jesus was capable of healing them.

modern miracles still happen

God’s healing hand is not limited to the stories in the Bible. I have met people who are walking miracles—people who have defied a doctor’s prognosis that “they should be dead”. I know these people had committed Christians all around the world praying for their recovery. And recover they did.

But I have also met people who lost loved ones despite the committed Christians who prayed “without ceasing”. I’ve heard stories of people’s faith being shattered because they truly believed God would save their loved ones—and yet death still took them. I won’t pretend to understand why God intervenes on behalf of some and not others. It’s something I have brought to Him in prayer many times myself. What I can offer is a little perspective. A believer’s heartfelt prayers may not have saved their life on Earth, but we believe that by God’s grace we will see them again. Death is never easy. But for Christians, this is when the promise of what comes after death comes in. In the end, what really matters is where that person sits with God. As a follower of Jesus, I have hope that death is not the end and I will see my loved ones again one day—in a world free from death and suffering.

Death is never easy. But for Christians, this is when the promise of what comes after death comes in.

Just like physical health, there are things you can do to improve your mental health: healthy eating, moving your body, adequate sleep and rest. And from a spiritual point of view, spending time in prayer and immersing ourselves in God’s Word can also be beneficial. But sometimes—like when treating broken bones or cancer—a healthy lifestyle isn’t enough. Just like Christians fighting cancer may pray as part of their treatment, most also seek out medical support.

what about me?

Ellen White was a prolific author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as an advocate for healthy living. She encouraged Adventists to open healthcare facilities,1 recognizing the importance of medical treatment when natural preventatives fail. She saw that God has equipped humans with incredible bodies that, if treated well, treat us well. But she also saw that God has given us the gift of medical knowledge and that there is wisdom in combining healthy habits with medical treatment. This logic also applies to mental health. 

At my lowest, I wished that I could cease to exist

This topic is especially close to my heart. I was 21 years old when my mental health hit rock bottom. At my lowest, I wished that I could cease to exist. I never fell so deep into my depression that I tried to follow through on that desire, but I can certainly see how someone could. 

It’s important to note that mental illnesses, like depression, are not always cured with practicing gratitude, eating well or having a healthy relationship with God. While mental illness can be caused by external pressures like trauma, stress, substance abuse and environmental factors, it can also be caused by biological factors such as genes, brain chemistry or hormonal imbalances.2 When healthy habits aren’t enough to squash dark thoughts, the next step is often medical treatment. Therapy, medication or both may be prescribed to treat mental illness.

What pulled me from my dark pit was a combination of treatments. I vividly remember leaning into my faith, clinging to the Psalms and certain promises God makes to His people, and finding a sense of peace and relief from those passages. But I also paired this with practical steps to help improve my wellbeing.  I removed study stressors by doing a semester of university via distance so I could live at home with the support of my family. I started seeing a psychologist and made good progress with her. But it soon became clear I needed additional support and so I began to take anti-depressants.

After a few months, color returned to my life. I would make it a day without crying, then two and then my life returned to the usual ups and down one can expect when their world isn’t tainted by depression.

I would make it a day without crying, then two and then my life returned to the usual ups and down one can expect when their world isn’t tainted by depression

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

Link for 40 Habits Signup
bit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth

If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub

For someone who has never experienced poor mental health, a journey like mine is almost impossible to grasp. Most people are shocked when they learn of my mental health struggles because, from all they see, I have a sunny disposition. But it is not as straightforward as choosing to be happy. Trust me, no-one feeling those levels of despair would choose to feel that way if feeling happy was an option. Mental illness is a health condition that needs treatment in the same way that physical illness needs treatment. And just like physical illness, mental health treatment will look different for everyone.

So, back to Jarrid Wilson. How does faith in God intersect with suffering from ? The replies to Jarrid’s tweet imply that if he truly loved God, he would still be here—that he just needed to try harder. 

I believe those replies missed the point entirely. Mental illness is just another part of a world filled with suffering. Rather than judging each other and arguing in the comments section, we should be supporting one another through the tough times of life. Every person is precious to God. And if being a listening ear or a helping hand in a time of need can save someone’s life on Earth, then it’s something all of us should be striving towards.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-what-does-the-bible-teach-about-mental-health-and-suicide/

By Ashley Stanton

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Jarrid Wilson, Darrin Patrick, Andrew Stoecklein, Isaac Hunter, Ed Montgomery, David Treadway, Teddy Parker Jr. Some of these names may sound familiar to you. That’s because they made the news as pastors who have died by suicide. The death of anyone by suicide is shocking and heartbreaking. But when it’s a pastor—a spiritual leader—the aftermath is even more devastating.

Jarrid Wilson was an associate pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. He was a mental health advocate and spoke openly about related issues. On the morning of September 10, 2019, Wilson tweeted:

“Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. He ALWAYS does that.”

“He’s in hell, man.” “Did have the Holy Spirit?”

Later that night, Jarrid Wilson ended his life. Many responded to the news online, questioning Wilson’s faith and his decision to take his life. These are just a handful of tweets and Facebook comments:

“When you are full of Christ, there will be no room for depression or frustration. The fullness of Christ in you will choke it out.”

“Truly, Jesus could have delivered you from all those afflictions but you decided not to let Him take control of your situation and rather you focus on what your human eye saw. Now you have many believing this. . . not true!”

“He’s in hell, man.”

“Did have the Holy Spirit?”

Not every response was like this. Some offered sincere condolences to Wilson’s family, shared their fondest memories and thanked him for how he had helped others overcome difficulties. But when Jarrid Wilson took his own life, it sparked a discussion online in comment sections and opinion pieces alike. At the root of many of these conversations were people trying to reconcile Wilson’s faith in God with his final action. Was there truth to the sentiment that he just didn’t love God enough?

is faith enough?

 Jesus spoke quite radically about the power of prayer. He said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). He even went so far as to say that if you have faith with no doubt, your faith can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). So it’s understandable that Christians would apply this logic to mental health struggles. Surely if the afflicted prays fervently enough and has faith, God could cure their mental illness.

It’s important to note the biblical authors don’t write about mental illness in the same way we talk about it today. But they do frequently mention times people had been struck down by physical illness: lepers, a woman who bled for 12 years, paraplegics and more. If you’ve read the stories, you’ll know Jesus healed many of these people because of their faith in Him.

In the case of the woman who bled for 12 years, this is what Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, said of her affliction: “A woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment” (Matthew 9:20–22).

This is one of many examples of how someone was healed because of their belief that Jesus was capable of healing them.

modern miracles still happen

God’s healing hand is not limited to the stories in the Bible. I have met people who are walking miracles—people who have defied a doctor’s prognosis that “they should be dead”. I know these people had committed Christians all around the world praying for their recovery. And recover they did.

But I have also met people who lost loved ones despite the committed Christians who prayed “without ceasing”. I’ve heard stories of people’s faith being shattered because they truly believed God would save their loved ones—and yet death still took them. I won’t pretend to understand why God intervenes on behalf of some and not others. It’s something I have brought to Him in prayer many times myself. What I can offer is a little perspective. A believer’s heartfelt prayers may not have saved their life on Earth, but we believe that by God’s grace we will see them again. Death is never easy. But for Christians, this is when the promise of what comes after death comes in. In the end, what really matters is where that person sits with God. As a follower of Jesus, I have hope that death is not the end and I will see my loved ones again one day—in a world free from death and suffering.

Death is never easy. But for Christians, this is when the promise of what comes after death comes in.

Just like physical health, there are things you can do to improve your mental health: healthy eating, moving your body, adequate sleep and rest. And from a spiritual point of view, spending time in prayer and immersing ourselves in God’s Word can also be beneficial. But sometimes—like when treating broken bones or cancer—a healthy lifestyle isn’t enough. Just like Christians fighting cancer may pray as part of their treatment, most also seek out medical support.

what about me?

Ellen White was a prolific author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as an advocate for healthy living. She encouraged Adventists to open healthcare facilities,1 recognizing the importance of medical treatment when natural preventatives fail. She saw that God has equipped humans with incredible bodies that, if treated well, treat us well. But she also saw that God has given us the gift of medical knowledge and that there is wisdom in combining healthy habits with medical treatment. This logic also applies to mental health. 

At my lowest, I wished that I could cease to exist

This topic is especially close to my heart. I was 21 years old when my mental health hit rock bottom. At my lowest, I wished that I could cease to exist. I never fell so deep into my depression that I tried to follow through on that desire, but I can certainly see how someone could. 

It’s important to note that mental illnesses, like depression, are not always cured with practicing gratitude, eating well or having a healthy relationship with God. While mental illness can be caused by external pressures like trauma, stress, substance abuse and environmental factors, it can also be caused by biological factors such as genes, brain chemistry or hormonal imbalances.2 When healthy habits aren’t enough to squash dark thoughts, the next step is often medical treatment. Therapy, medication or both may be prescribed to treat mental illness.

What pulled me from my dark pit was a combination of treatments. I vividly remember leaning into my faith, clinging to the Psalms and certain promises God makes to His people, and finding a sense of peace and relief from those passages. But I also paired this with practical steps to help improve my wellbeing.  I removed study stressors by doing a semester of university via distance so I could live at home with the support of my family. I started seeing a psychologist and made good progress with her. But it soon became clear I needed additional support and so I began to take anti-depressants.

After a few months, color returned to my life. I would make it a day without crying, then two and then my life returned to the usual ups and down one can expect when their world isn’t tainted by depression.

I would make it a day without crying, then two and then my life returned to the usual ups and down one can expect when their world isn’t tainted by depression

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth

If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub

For someone who has never experienced poor mental health, a journey like mine is almost impossible to grasp. Most people are shocked when they learn of my mental health struggles because, from all they see, I have a sunny disposition. But it is not as straightforward as choosing to be happy. Trust me, no-one feeling those levels of despair would choose to feel that way if feeling happy was an option. Mental illness is a health condition that needs treatment in the same way that physical illness needs treatment. And just like physical illness, mental health treatment will look different for everyone.

So, back to Jarrid Wilson. How does faith in God intersect with suffering from ? The replies to Jarrid’s tweet imply that if he truly loved God, he would still be here—that he just needed to try harder. 

I believe those replies missed the point entirely. Mental illness is just another part of a world filled with suffering. Rather than judging each other and arguing in the comments section, we should be supporting one another through the tough times of life. Every person is precious to God. And if being a listening ear or a helping hand in a time of need can save someone’s life on Earth, then it’s something all of us should be striving towards.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=12833

Ian Robinson, Monroe News-Star

The terms "crazy" and "unstable" have become pejorative terms because of the way society views #mentalillness, local professionals say, and this #stigma is causing many to suffer needlessly.

The effort to destigmatize #mentalhealthissues seeks to help more people become more willing to seek the treatment they need.

Kimberly Peters, a #behavior analyst and former therapist in Monroe, said people tend to associate #mentalhealth with not being productive. Peters said when you see a homeless person, the ultimate assumption is that they may have #mentalhealthissues, which is not always the case.

"If somebody had cancer, we wouldn't stigmatize them," Peters said. "If somebody had diabetes, we wouldn't stigmatize them and #mentalhealth is another illness. Why is it that something in your brain is seen as something so different to something in your body?"

#Stress, #depression and the holidays: Counseling professionals give tips for dealing with holiday stressors

#JamesDonaldson notes:

Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

#Mentalhealth has become stigmatized politically, socially and historically, according to Northeast Delta Human Services Authority Executive Director Monteic A. Sizer.

"For political reasons, there are public policies that were created that favored one group over another group," Sizer said. "For social reasons, people developed issues via social groupings, be it their family, be it their peers. Historically, there are cultural and structural barriers that again advantages one group over another."

Sizer said acknowledging that all humans experience emotional distress in life is a way to encourage mental health.

"You also normalize it by saying political and social factors influence #mentalhealth outcomes," Sizer said. "Science confirms that about 80% of all #mentalhealth and primary care challenges can be attributed to social and environmental factors. Genetic factors only contribute to a lesser extent or degree."

More: What's the difference between #CBD and #THC? Are they legal in Louisiana?

There are disparities between white and #Blackcommunities, Sizer said, however, there are also disparities shown between economically marginalized blacks and whites compared to those who are not marginalized or poor.

"Barriers preventing Blacks from seeking services are largely social," Sizer said. "We call these barriers 'negative social determinants of health' and again, these are contributing factors that creates the atmosphere for additional people needing our services."

Sizer said some of those barriers include a lack of insurance, not having transportation to treatments, not knowing how to navigate #mentalhealth systems and discriminatory practices in #mentalhealth systems.

#Domesticviolence: Resources are available to help break the cycle

Peters said she is unsure if a group of people receiving #mentalhealth can be based on nationality or the size of a municipality. Peters said large metropolitan areas, such as Atlanta or Dallas, offer more resources towards #mentalhealth.

"It seems it's the size of the town and resources," Peters said. "I don't think you can discount the culture that the person comes from. New Orleans is a big town but it's a known fact that there's a large population of untreated #mentalhealth individuals. I do think race plays into it, as well as the size of the town and resources that are put into it, the choices that you have and the bigger hospitals makes a big difference too."

Resources

Here is a list of available resources for individuals seeking counseling services:

- #Behavioral Developmental Services, 2106 N 7th Street #230, 318-600-6640

- Comprehensive #MentalHealth Center, 1301 Thomas Road, 318-329-9455

- First West Counseling Center, 212 Cypress Street, 318-322-1427

- Northeast Delta HSA, 4800 South Grand Street, 318-362-3339

- Pathways to Recovery, 2106 N 7th Street #106, 318-381-5696

- Preventive Measures, 198 Parkway Circle, 318-600-4225

- Wellspring Alliance for Families, 1904 Royal Avenue, 318-651-9314

Follow Ian Robinson on #Twitter @_irobinson and on #Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.

Support local journalism by subscribing at https://cm.thenewsstar.com/specialoffer.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Monroe area resources for #mentalhealth, #mentalillness available
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-mentalhealth-and-mentalillness-what-resources-are-available-to-help-overcome-the-stigma/

By JENNY VRENTAS

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

One of the first questions asked was a simple but important one: Where do you put the office of your team’s mental health clinician?

In a conference room with about 100 medical professionals and NFL team employees, one club shared its answer: On the first floor of team headquarters, near the locker room and the cafeteria, where the players spend much of their time. It’s the only office in the building without windows, for privacy.

Another attendee raised his hand and asked about tips for how to connect players with the help they need, while also maintaining their privacy? A different NFL team’s director of player engagement explained that once he shares the cell phone number of the team clinician with a player, he doesn’t ask for or receive any further information, unless the player signs a release form. He also tells players he has a list of several other names, including clinicians of multiple genders and races, so they can talk to whomever they are most comfortable with.

JamesDonaldson notes:

 Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

One morning last week, Nyaka NiiLampti—a licensed psychologist hired in December as the NFL’s vice president of wellness clinical services, after three years working for the players union—was leading this discussion about how to address the mental health needs of the NFL’s 2,000 players. The agenda for this day-long Player Health Summit, hosted by the NFL and the NFL Players Association in New York, included hot topics like a 25-minute “CBD Update” and a session on concussion treatments. But the primary focus was implementing the new measures to address behavioral health and pain management that the league and the players agreed to in May.

The summit gathered head team physicians, head athletic trainers and directors of player engagement. Also present were the behavioral health team clinicians and pain management specialists that new joint agreements between the league and the players require each team to retain before the start of the 2019 season. As of last week, Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said “virtually everyone” had filled both positions.

In the context of the ongoing labor negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement this summer, the fact that new provisions to protect player health were added to the current CBA in May reflects the two sides’ ability to work together. In introductory remarks at last week’s summit, Sills introduced his counterpart at the players union, Thom Mayer, as “a real partner.” In turn, Mayer pointed to the meeting as a sign of progress over the last few years. “The idea that we would have had this meeting previously,” Mayer told the room, “is inconceivable.”

Solomon Thomas was also in New York last week, spending part of the summer break from the #NFL calendar on a media tour along with Christine Moutier, the chief medical officer for the #AmericaFoundationforSuicidePrevention. After Thomas’s older sister, Ella, died by #suicide in January 2018, the 49ers defensive end began to use his voice to speak about #mentalhealthandsuicideprevention. About five months after losing Ella, Thomas and his family participated in an overnight walk for the AFSP in Dallas, one of his first steps in becoming a #mentalhealthadvocate. “I realized what I can say can really help other people, or really help myself, or get a conversation started,” Thomas says.

He’s been part of a growing conversation about #mentalhealth beyond the #NFL, but also within it. Last season, Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen spent five weeks away from the team to focus on his #mentalhealth. Thomas’s 49ers teammate, Marquise Goodwin, sat out for two weeks as he and his wife, Morgan, processed the grief of losing twin baby boys 19 weeks into her pregnancy. And midway through last season, the 49ers helped Thomas address his own #mentalhealth in the wake of losing his sister. GM John Lynch, who drafted Thomas and once took a class with him at Stanford, told him that if he needed some help, they could connect him with a therapist.

“He could kind of tell, I was probably putting a mask on in front of my teammates,” Thomas says. “That was really helpful, really powerful for me, to have John reach out to me like that and help me continue to get mentally healthy and to continue my walk through my grief process.”

The increased spotlight on both #mentalhealth and the use of painkillers, both inside and outside the #NFL, played a role in the new guidelines being adopted for the 2019 season. Over the past several years, the NFL and the Players Association have worked to establish #mentalhealth resources for both current and former players, but these have varied team to team and many players have said they aren’t aware of everything that is available. Now with regulations written into the CBA, which could thus be grieved or penalized if they are not met, the bar has been raised.

About 90 percent of teams were already working with a clinician in some capacity, NiiLampti said, but those clinicians were at the clubs an average of three hours per week. The new agreement mandates they must be available to players at the team facility a minimum of twice per week, for at least 8 to 12 hours—a significant increase. And while past education included steps like an hour-long module for rookies or a slide-and-a-half during training camp, clinicians will now conduct at least two #mentalhealth education sessions per season. Teams have emergency action plans for other serious health concerns—cardiac emergencies, heat illness and severe neck and spine injuries—and now they will each create a plan for #mentalhealth emergencies, to be reviewed and rehearsed annually.

The question about office location is a common one, because teams are trying to work through the best way to fully integrate the presence of the clinician, most of whom have not been listed among the “medical staff” on team websites. One team at the summit in New York said that the clinician is the first meeting rookies take as part of their orientation; another club said that they make sure the clinician is visible, on the practice field, on the team plane and in the lunchroom, to normalize his presence. At an identical summit in Las Vegas—teams picked one of the two to attend—one club said its head coach put his arm around the clinician while meeting with players and said, “I use this person. My family uses this person.” But even with these steps, there are hurdles in getting some players to feel comfortable seeking them out.

“Some guys won’t sit at the same lunch table as our team therapist, because they are like, I don’t want anyone to think something is wrong with me,” Thomas says. “I have heard guys say out loud, ‘Oh, I can’t sit at that table.’ I’m just like, why? There’s a huge #stigma about that; people are still afraid of therapists, still afraid of getting help, because they don’t want anyone to know that anything is wrong with them.”

Men overall are less likely to seek out #mentalhealth resources than women, studies have shown, but there are specific stressors in the #NFL compounding that. Players are taught not to trust fully anyone in the building, because they can be cut or traded at any time.

“Guys are fighting for their job every day,” Thomas adds. “So they don’t want to have anything seen as a disadvantage or a reason to not be the one chosen. ‘Oh, both of them have the same amount of yards and TDs, but he has #mentalhealth problems.’ That’s scary to some guys, I guess. But, it’s something that needs to change.”

For these reasons, during the #mentalhealth discussion at the summit, NiiLampti described confidentiality as the “lynchpin” to making the program work. One team clinician described how he keeps a case file totally separate from the team for every player he sees, as if they were a patient at his private practice. Another clinician said he has never been asked by management about any interactions with players, which is why he continues to work for his team. It’s customary in clinical medicine for mental health records to be separate from all other medical records, and the joint mental health agreement includes stipulations for that, according to Sills: The only #mentalhealth information that should be entered into a player’s electronic medical record is any psychotrophic medicine he is taking, to avoid his being prescribed a drug that could interact.

Teams were also encouraged to have a referral network of multiple #mentalhealthprofessionals, both to address specific topics such as substance abuse or family counseling, and to ensure that players have options beyond the team clinician. One team’s director of player engagement simply posts their names and contact information on a bulletin board outside his office, so players don’t even have to ask him for a referral.

Thomas says he chose to see a therapist who is outsourced by the 49ers, rather than an in-house employee, which made him more comfortable talking about both on- and off-the-field stressors. He started meeting with her once a week in a room at the team’s headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Before he started working with her, Thomas says he didn’t know how to talk, who to talk to, or where to start. She worked with him on acknowledging all the emotions he was feeling after losing his sister, how to release his anger and different coping mechanisms and outlets for his grief. By the end of the season, Thomas began to see a difference in his play on the field, too. He began to recognize the player he was watching on film again.

“I honestly felt like I was running in sand sometimes, or running in mud,” he says. “Then just being able to feel that twitchiness again, that explosiveness. … That’s all due to my head clearing up, or being able to freely live, I guess.”

During OTAs this spring, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan brought in a group of Navy SEALs for a training session focused on the mental side of the game. After a team-wide discussion about how to cope with stress, they opened up to the floor to anyone who wanted to talk. Thomas stood up and talked about how mental health affects physical health, and that he deals with his mental #stress through seeing a therapist. If his teammates see him coming back from a session with his therapist or finishing up a phone call with her, he’s open about telling them what he was doing, hoping they can see it as he does—just a normal part of his routine.

“If our brain’s not working, our bodies aren’t going to work. I said one way I dealt with that was through therapy, and so I hope that motivates guys … Just trying to let them know that nothing's wrong with it—it’s a good thing, it’s for help,” Thomas says. “If guys do it more openly, and the culture of #mentalhealth changes in the NFL, I think that is going to change a lot. Because we are a very masculine, tough sport. If we start that change, it will echo throughout the whole league and society as well.”

When Sills was hired by the #NFL two years ago, he says Roger Goodell asked him for the major health issues he believed needed to be addressed. After concussions, Sills listed behavioral health and pain management. Around the same time, in the spring of 2017, the players union filed a grievance alleging that the #NFL and its teams conspired to violate the terms of the CBA regarding the use and dispensation of opioids and other prescription painkillers; it cited a federal lawsuit filed by the widow of former #NFL fullback Charles Evans. “We had significant concerns,” Mayer says, “but I truly feel this is a great example of something good coming out of a disagreement.”

What stole the headlines when the health and safety agreements were announced in May is that the #NFL and the players union agreed for the first time to work together on studying alternative pain management therapies for players, including marijuana. They’ll do so as part of two new joint medical committees that will make recommendations on policies and practices for pain management and #mentalhealthandwellness. A new prescription drug monitoring program will also track all prescriptions issued to players, reviewed by both the league and the union.

At last week’s summit, team employees listened to a 15-minute presentation on alternatives to opioids, followed by the CBD update led by Kevin Hill, an addiction psychiatrist and author of Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth About The World’s Most Popular Weed. (The MMQB was only invited to sit in on the first hour of the summit, including introductory remarks and a session on the behavioral health practices.) Sills said the joint pain management committee has already met with a couple of experts about the current state of research and will explore ways they might be able to further ongoing research into marijuana and its derivatives. Several players have advocated for the NFL to change its policies to permit marijuana use for pain management, but Goodell and medical advisors on both sides continue to indicate that more information is needed.

“My opinion, and there are a lot of us who share it, is that opinions and attitudes are far outstretching the science behind CBD right now,” Mayer said. Added Sills: “We are open-minded to look at every aspect of how we can better treat pain, but it’s from a data-driven perspective. … We will let the science take us where we need to go.”

As players begin reporting to training camps this month, teams will start sharing information on the new #mentalhealth and pain management rules. It’s not a coincidence they’ll be addressed together; one affects the other. The goal, NiiLampti said, is to work with players to prevent an emergency or crisis stage, and that these services can help in optimizing player health and performance. Some clubs, like the one that has a “prevention team,” to this end, are farther along. Others are still figuring out the clinician’s office location. “Guys care about that,” Thomas says.

“I think we will have some … where there’ll be some players who maybe are held out, or missed games or practices for ‘medical reasons,’ That'll just be the end of it,” Sills says. “And we should all be comfortable with that reality.”

• Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.

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#Childabuse refers to any emotional, sexual, or physical mistreatment or neglect by an adult in a role of responsibility toward someone who is under 18 years of age.

It refers to any kind of action or failure to act that results in harm or possible harm for a #child. The adult may be a parent or other family member or another caregiver, including sports coaches, teachers, and so on.

The #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention (#CDC) classify the types of #childabuse as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect.

Abuse often involves one or more of these types. Bullying is not included in these categories, but it is a way of delivering different kinds of abuse.

The action may or may not be violent.

It can happen at home or elsewhere, and it occurs in all cultures, countries, and economic classes. It usually involves a family member or friend, rather than a stranger.

It can also happen for a variety of reasons, for example, #mentalhealth problems affecting the person who delivers the abuse.

#JamesDonaldson notes:

Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

This article looks at the types of abuse what they involve, and some signs to look out for.

Fast facts on #childabuse

- Four types of abuse are neglect and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

- In some countries, using corporal punishment is regarded as child abuse.

- Signs of abuse can be hard to detect, but being withdrawn, passive, and overly compliant may be an indication.

- The person who is carrying out the abuse may also need help, for example, a stressed parent.

Why is it important?

Many #children experience some kind of abuse as they are growing up. This can lead to feelings of fear and #isolation.

In the #UnitedStates, #childprotectiveservices (#CPS) received 676,000 reports of individuals experiencing abuse or neglect in 2016. One study has suggested that 1 in 4 #children experience some kind of neglect or abuse at some time.

#Childabuse is a serious problem that resulted in 1,750 child fatalities in the U.S. 2016.

Observers may be unwilling to get involved when they are not sure or do not know the whole story.

Sometimes, people are afraid to speak up because of the existing balance of power.

The #child may fear that the person who is abusing them is too important or powerful. They may also fear that they will not be believed. They may also feel ashamed, embarrassed, or worry that they are to blame.

Abuse can be hard to spot. Some of the signs, such as bruising, can be part of normal growing up.

Sometimes, the abuse results, in part, from problems that parents or caregivers face, which also need addressing. These could be financial pressure, unemployment, #mentalhealthproblems, or substance abuse issues. They, too, may have experienced abuse as #children.

Speaking up about signs that something is wrong can help #children, but it may also help their caregivers.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse may include intentionally:

Intentionally hitting or otherwise physically harming a #child is considered abuse, including, in many countries, for punishment.

- burning or scalding

- suffocating or drowning, for example, holding a #child under water

- poisoning

- shaking, throwing, hitting, biting

- non-consensual tickling

- excessive pinching, slapping or tripping

- any other physical harm

- tying or forcing the #child into a stressed position

- withholding sleep, food, or medication

It can also involve fabricating a symptom or deliberately inducing illness in a #child, as in Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, now known as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDAI).

In many countries, corporal punishment is increasingly seen as a form of physical #childabuse.

Signs of physical abuse

Indications that physical abuse may be occurring include the following, but it is important to note that these are not necessarily signs of abuse, and they can occur for other reasons.

- unexplained black eyes, broken bones, bruises, bites, or burns

- injuries that may reveal a pattern, for example, more than one burn or welts on the hand

- protesting or crying when it is time to go to a particular location, whether home or school, or another place where abuse might occur

- appearing to be frightened of a specific individual

- being watchful, as if expecting something unpleasant to happen

- flinching when touched

- wearing inappropriate clothing, for example, long sleeves in summer, to cover up injuries

- talking about being injured by a parent, caregiver, or other person

If an adult is carrying out abuse, they may:

- appear overly severe and harsh when with the child

- behave in an unpredictable way with no clear boundaries or rules

- lash out in anger when the child does something wrong, instead of explaining

- use the fear of physical punishment rather than teaching rules, as a way to control a child’s behavior

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Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse happens when people consistently say things and behave in a way that conveys to the #child that they are inadequate, unloved, worthless, or only valued as far as the other person’s needs are concerned.

This can have a profound, long-term impact on the #child.

Examples include:

- not allowing #children to express their views and opinions

- ridiculing what they say

- silencing them

- frequently shouting at or threatening them

- mocking the way they are or how they try to communicate

- giving a #child the “silent treatment” as a punishment

- limiting physical contact

- telling them they are “no good” or “a mistake”

- preventing normal social interaction with peers and others

- ill-treating another person in front of the child for example, through #domesticviolence

- #bullying, including online #bullying

- “emotional blackmail”

All types of maltreatment will include some level of emotional abuse, but it can also occur on its own.

Signs of emotional abuse

Some of these signs may indicate that a child is experiencing emotional abuse:

- appearing withdrawn, anxious, or afraid

- showing extremes in behavior, for example, compliance, passivity, or aggressiveness

- lack of attachment to parent or caregiver

- age-inappropriate behavior, for example, sucking a thumb

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse is defined as any act that forces or entices a #child or young person to participate in sexual activities.

It is sexual abuse, even if the child does not understand what is happening and there is no force, violence, or even contact.

If the child is forced or invited to participate in any activity that causes the other to be aroused, this is considered sexual abuse.

Such activities may include:

- assault by penetration, such as rape or oral sex

- non-penetrative sexual activities, such as touching outside of clothing, rubbing, kissing, and masturbating

- watching others performing sexual acts or getting a child to watch such acts

- looking at, showing, or sharing sexual images, videos, toys, or other material

- telling dirty jokes or stories

- forcing or inviting a child to undress for sexual gratification

- “flashing” or showing one’s genitals to the child

- encouraging the child to behave in a way that is sexually inappropriate

- grooming, or preparing for future abuse or activity

The person who carries out the abuse may be an adult #male, adult #female, or another child, usually a #teenager who has already reached puberty, although younger #children may also carry out abuse.

Signs of sexual abuse

Signs in the #child that may indicate sexual abuse include:

- talking about being sexually abused

- displaying sexual knowledge or behavior which is beyond their years, bizarre, or unusual

- withdrawing from friends and others

- running away from home

- shying away from a specific person

- having nightmares

- wetting the bed after not doing so before

- changes in mood or appetite

- pregnancy or having a #sexuallytransmitteddisease (#STD), especially before the age of 14 years

Physical signs that may indicate sexual abuse include difficulty walking or sitting down.

Sexual abuse usually involves someone the #child knows. Often, the #child will be told to keep the relationship a secret. They may be threatened with something bad happening if they tell anyone.

An adult who carries out sexual abuse with a #child may have received the same treatment in the past. Breaking the cycle may help prevent it passing down to the next generation.

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Neglect

The long-term effects of abuse include #loneliness, #isolation, and low self-esteem.

#Child neglect is when a parent or caregiver persistently fails to meet the basic physical and psychological needs of a #child, resulting in impairment of the #child’s health or development.

It can involve:

- not providing appropriate food, clothing, or medical care

- locking a #child in a room or closet

- not providing adequate shelter, including abandoning a #child or excluding them from the family home

- placing or leaving the #child in a situation in which they might experience emotional or physical danger or harm

- leaving a #child alone for a long time or so that they experience harm

Neglecting or not responding to a #child’s basic emotional needs could constitute neglect.

Signs and symptoms of neglect

If a parent or caregiver is behaving in a way that is neglectful, the #child may:

- have medical or dental care needs that are not being met

- have unwashed clothes, skin, or hair

- be using drugs or alcohol

- be missing food or money at unusual times, for example, for lunch or bus fare home

- wear the same clothes all the time or be consistently unsuitably dressed for the time of year

- miss school frequently

- need glasses but never have them

- say nobody looks after them at home

Signs that a parent is neglecting a #child include a lack of interest in the #child’s progress and well being, but the parent, too may be experiencing difficulties.

They may need help, for example, with:

- untreated #mentalillness

- substance or alcohol abuse

- #stress

- lack of support

- not knowing a better way to take care of their #children

Single, #teenage parents and those who experienced difficulties in their own #childhood may struggle as parents.

In some cases, identifying parents who need help and offering support and training can enable parents to avoid abuse in bringing up their #children.

Should I report this?

#Children may express their experiences through drawings or play.

An individual who suspects or believes a #child is experiencing abuse should take action, for the child’s immediate and long-term safety. You do not need to be sure abuse is occurring or to know which type.

In the long term, abuse can lead to problems with trust and relationship difficulties, a feeling of worthlessness, and difficulty regulating emotions. In some cases, the #child may grow into an adult who abuses #children in their care.

If it is your own #child, you should remove the #child from the person’s presence, for example, by cancelling a babysitter temporarily or possibly permanently, if fears appear to be grounded.

One sign that may indicate that abuse has taken place is #children making drawings that represent their experience, or acting out what has happened to them in play.

Researchers have said there is a lack of objective measures that can be used to confirm the use of drawings as evidence for use in a legal case. However, if a #child draws unusual images, these may be worth attention, especially if there are other signs.

It is worth noting that no two cases will be the same. The signs, too, may overlap. Aggressive behavior changes, for example, could be a sign of either physical or emotional abuse.

In addition, other factors can trigger similar symptoms. The loss of a loved one, separation, or divorce, among other things, can also cause signs of emotional #stress.

#Children who may have experienced abuse should visit a doctor or hospital, as physical medical help or counseling may be needed.

Anyone who believes they are abusing, have abused, or might abuse a #child should remove themselves from the #child and place the #child somewhere safe, for example, by asking someone else to look after them, then find someone to confide in. Counseling may be necessary.

There are helplines available, and the local #police or health services can help. Calls can be made anonymously. The appropriate people will take action to investigate.

To report a suspected case of abuse, you can call 9-1-1 or this number: (1-800)4-A-CHILD or (1-800) 422-4453.

Tips for reducing the risk

Talking to #children can raise their awareness and prepare them to recognize and possibly avoid future problems.

Tips include:

- talking to your #child about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and safe and unsafe situations

- role playing what to do if ever someone behaves inappropriately, and how to get help

- encouraging open communication with your #child, as this will make it easier to spot if anything unusual happens

- ensure that your own house and yard are safe and plan ahead to make sure you never have to leave young #children alone

- always knowing where your #child is when they are out

Building relationships with the people who look after your #children, including teachers, babysitters, and parents of friends, can help in several ways.

It makes it easier to establish guidelines for safety and appropriate behavior, for example, what to do if a #child misbehaves. It may help detect and prevent possible abuse. It also helps build a community around your #child that can provide additional support and vigilance.

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#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth - #MentalHealth And #MentalIllness: What Resources Are Available To Help Overcome The #Stigma?

Ian Robinson, Monroe News-Star

The terms "crazy" and "unstable" have become pejorative terms because of the way society views #mentalillness, local professionals say, and this #stigma is causing many to suffer needlessly.

The effort to destigmatize #mentalhealthissues seeks to help more people become more willing to seek the treatment they need.

Kimberly Peters, a #behavior analyst and former therapist in Monroe, said people tend to associate #mentalhealth with not being productive. Peters said when you see a homeless person, the ultimate assumption is that they may have #mentalhealthissues, which is not always the case.

"If somebody had cancer, we wouldn't stigmatize them," Peters said. "If somebody had diabetes, we wouldn't stigmatize them and #mentalhealth is another illness. Why is it that something in your brain is seen as something so different to something in your body?"

#Stress, #depression and the holidays: Counseling professionals give tips for dealing with holiday stressors

#JamesDonaldson notes:

Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

#Mentalhealth has become stigmatized politically, socially and historically, according to Northeast Delta Human Services Authority Executive Director Monteic A. Sizer.

"For political reasons, there are public policies that were created that favored one group over another group," Sizer said. "For social reasons, people developed issues via social groupings, be it their family, be it their peers. Historically, there are cultural and structural barriers that again advantages one group over another."

Sizer said acknowledging that all humans experience emotional distress in life is a way to encourage mental health.

"You also normalize it by saying political and social factors influence #mentalhealth outcomes," Sizer said. "Science confirms that about 80% of all #mentalhealth and primary care challenges can be attributed to social and environmental factors. Genetic factors only contribute to a lesser extent or degree."

More: What's the difference between #CBD and #THC? Are they legal in Louisiana?

There are disparities between white and #Blackcommunities, Sizer said, however, there are also disparities shown between economically marginalized blacks and whites compared to those who are not marginalized or poor.

"Barriers preventing Blacks from seeking services are largely social," Sizer said. "We call these barriers 'negative social determinants of health' and again, these are contributing factors that creates the atmosphere for additional people needing our services."

Sizer said some of those barriers include a lack of insurance, not having transportation to treatments, not knowing how to navigate #mentalhealth systems and discriminatory practices in #mentalhealth systems.

#Domesticviolence: Resources are available to help break the cycle

Peters said she is unsure if a group of people receiving #mentalhealth can be based on nationality or the size of a municipality. Peters said large metropolitan areas, such as Atlanta or Dallas, offer more resources towards #mentalhealth.

"It seems it's the size of the town and resources," Peters said. "I don't think you can discount the culture that the person comes from. New Orleans is a big town but it's a known fact that there's a large population of untreated #mentalhealth individuals. I do think race plays into it, as well as the size of the town and resources that are put into it, the choices that you have and the bigger hospitals makes a big difference too."

Resources

Here is a list of available resources for individuals seeking counseling services:

- #Behavioral Developmental Services, 2106 N 7th Street #230, 318-600-6640
- Comprehensive #MentalHealth Center, 1301 Thomas Road, 318-329-9455
- First West Counseling Center, 212 Cypress Street, 318-322-1427
- Northeast Delta HSA, 4800 South Grand Street, 318-362-3339
- Pathways to Recovery, 2106 N 7th Street #106, 318-381-5696
- Preventive Measures, 198 Parkway Circle, 318-600-4225
- Wellspring Alliance for Families, 1904 Royal Avenue, 318-651-9314

Follow Ian Robinson on #Twitter @_irobinson and on #Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.

Support local journalism by subscribing at https://cm.thenewsstar.com/specialoffer.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Monroe area resources for #mentalhealth, #mentalillness available

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-mentalhealth-and-mentalillness-what-resources-are-available-to-help-overcome-the-stigma/

#JamesDonaldsononMentalHealth - The NFL’s Latest Approaches To #MentalHealth

By JENNY VRENTAS

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

One of the first questions asked was a simple but important one: Where do you put the office of your team’s mental health clinician?

In a conference room with about 100 medical professionals and NFL team employees, one club shared its answer: On the first floor of team headquarters, near the locker room and the cafeteria, where the players spend much of their time. It’s the only office in the building without windows, for privacy.

Another attendee raised his hand and asked about tips for how to connect players with the help they need, while also maintaining their privacy? A different NFL team’s director of player engagement explained that once he shares the cell phone number of the team clinician with a player, he doesn’t ask for or receive any further information, unless the player signs a release form. He also tells players he has a list of several other names, including clinicians of multiple genders and races, so they can talk to whomever they are most comfortable with.

JamesDonaldson notes:

 Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.

Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.

Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

One morning last week, Nyaka NiiLampti—a licensed psychologist hired in December as the NFL’s vice president of wellness clinical services, after three years working for the players union—was leading this discussion about how to address the mental health needs of the NFL’s 2,000 players. The agenda for this day-long Player Health Summit, hosted by the NFL and the NFL Players Association in New York, included hot topics like a 25-minute “CBD Update” and a session on concussion treatments. But the primary focus was implementing the new measures to address behavioral health and pain management that the league and the players agreed to in May.

The summit gathered head team physicians, head athletic trainers and directors of player engagement. Also present were the behavioral health team clinicians and pain management specialists that new joint agreements between the league and the players require each team to retain before the start of the 2019 season. As of last week, Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said “virtually everyone” had filled both positions.

In the context of the ongoing labor negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement this summer, the fact that new provisions to protect player health were added to the current CBA in May reflects the two sides’ ability to work together. In introductory remarks at last week’s summit, Sills introduced his counterpart at the players union, Thom Mayer, as “a real partner.” In turn, Mayer pointed to the meeting as a sign of progress over the last few years. “The idea that we would have had this meeting previously,” Mayer told the room, “is inconceivable.”

Solomon Thomas was also in New York last week, spending part of the summer break from the #NFL calendar on a media tour along with Christine Moutier, the chief medical officer for the #AmericaFoundationforSuicidePrevention. After Thomas’s older sister, Ella, died by #suicide in January 2018, the 49ers defensive end began to use his voice to speak about #mentalhealthandsuicideprevention. About five months after losing Ella, Thomas and his family participated in an overnight walk for the AFSP in Dallas, one of his first steps in becoming a #mentalhealthadvocate. “I realized what I can say can really help other people, or really help myself, or get a conversation started,” Thomas says.

He’s been part of a growing conversation about #mentalhealth beyond the #NFL, but also within it. Last season, Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen spent five weeks away from the team to focus on his #mentalhealth. Thomas’s 49ers teammate, Marquise Goodwin, sat out for two weeks as he and his wife, Morgan, processed the grief of losing twin baby boys 19 weeks into her pregnancy. And midway through last season, the 49ers helped Thomas address his own #mentalhealth in the wake of losing his sister. GM John Lynch, who drafted Thomas and once took a class with him at Stanford, told him that if he needed some help, they could connect him with a therapist.

“He could kind of tell, I was probably putting a mask on in front of my teammates,” Thomas says. “That was really helpful, really powerful for me, to have John reach out to me like that and help me continue to get mentally healthy and to continue my walk through my grief process.”

The increased spotlight on both #mentalhealth and the use of painkillers, both inside and outside the #NFL, played a role in the new guidelines being adopted for the 2019 season. Over the past several years, the NFL and the Players Association have worked to establish #mentalhealth resources for both current and former players, but these have varied team to team and many players have said they aren’t aware of everything that is available. Now with regulations written into the CBA, which could thus be grieved or penalized if they are not met, the bar has been raised.

About 90 percent of teams were already working with a clinician in some capacity, NiiLampti said, but those clinicians were at the clubs an average of three hours per week. The new agreement mandates they must be available to players at the team facility a minimum of twice per week, for at least 8 to 12 hours—a significant increase. And while past education included steps like an hour-long module for rookies or a slide-and-a-half during training camp, clinicians will now conduct at least two #mentalhealth education sessions per season. Teams have emergency action plans for other serious health concerns—cardiac emergencies, heat illness and severe neck and spine injuries—and now they will each create a plan for #mentalhealth emergencies, to be reviewed and rehearsed annually.

The question about office location is a common one, because teams are trying to work through the best way to fully integrate the presence of the clinician, most of whom have not been listed among the “medical staff” on team websites. One team at the summit in New York said that the clinician is the first meeting rookies take as part of their orientation; another club said that they make sure the clinician is visible, on the practice field, on the team plane and in the lunchroom, to normalize his presence. At an identical summit in Las Vegas—teams picked one of the two to attend—one club said its head coach put his arm around the clinician while meeting with players and said, “I use this person. My family uses this person.” But even with these steps, there are hurdles in getting some players to feel comfortable seeking them out.

“Some guys won’t sit at the same lunch table as our team therapist, because they are like, I don’t want anyone to think something is wrong with me,” Thomas says. “I have heard guys say out loud, ‘Oh, I can’t sit at that table.’ I’m just like, why? There’s a huge #stigma about that; people are still afraid of therapists, still afraid of getting help, because they don’t want anyone to know that anything is wrong with them.”

Men overall are less likely to seek out #mentalhealth resources than women, studies have shown, but there are specific stressors in the #NFL compounding that. Players are taught not to trust fully anyone in the building, because they can be cut or traded at any time.

“Guys are fighting for their job every day,” Thomas adds. “So they don’t want to have anything seen as a disadvantage or a reason to not be the one chosen. ‘Oh, both of them have the same amount of yards and TDs, but he has #mentalhealth problems.’ That’s scary to some guys, I guess. But, it’s something that needs to change.”

For these reasons, during the #mentalhealth discussion at the summit, NiiLampti described confidentiality as the “lynchpin” to making the program work. One team clinician described how he keeps a case file totally separate from the team for every player he sees, as if they were a patient at his private practice. Another clinician said he has never been asked by management about any interactions with players, which is why he continues to work for his team. It’s customary in clinical medicine for mental health records to be separate from all other medical records, and the joint mental health agreement includes stipulations for that, according to Sills: The only #mentalhealth information that should be entered into a player’s electronic medical record is any psychotrophic medicine he is taking, to avoid his being prescribed a drug that could interact.

Teams were also encouraged to have a referral network of multiple #mentalhealthprofessionals, both to address specific topics such as substance abuse or family counseling, and to ensure that players have options beyond the team clinician. One team’s director of player engagement simply posts their names and contact information on a bulletin board outside his office, so players don’t even have to ask him for a referral.

Thomas says he chose to see a therapist who is outsourced by the 49ers, rather than an in-house employee, which made him more comfortable talking about both on- and off-the-field stressors. He started meeting with her once a week in a room at the team’s headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Before he started working with her, Thomas says he didn’t know how to talk, who to talk to, or where to start. She worked with him on acknowledging all the emotions he was feeling after losing his sister, how to release his anger and different coping mechanisms and outlets for his grief. By the end of the season, Thomas began to see a difference in his play on the field, too. He began to recognize the player he was watching on film again.

“I honestly felt like I was running in sand sometimes, or running in mud,” he says. “Then just being able to feel that twitchiness again, that explosiveness. … That’s all due to my head clearing up, or being able to freely live, I guess.”

During OTAs this spring, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan brought in a group of Navy SEALs for a training session focused on the mental side of the game. After a team-wide discussion about how to cope with stress, they opened up to the floor to anyone who wanted to talk. Thomas stood up and talked about how mental health affects physical health, and that he deals with his mental #stress through seeing a therapist. If his teammates see him coming back from a session with his therapist or finishing up a phone call with her, he’s open about telling them what he was doing, hoping they can see it as he does—just a normal part of his routine.

“If our brain’s not working, our bodies aren’t going to work. I said one way I dealt with that was through therapy, and so I hope that motivates guys … Just trying to let them know that nothing's wrong with it—it’s a good thing, it’s for help,” Thomas says. “If guys do it more openly, and the culture of #mentalhealth changes in the NFL, I think that is going to change a lot. Because we are a very masculine, tough sport. If we start that change, it will echo throughout the whole league and society as well.”

When Sills was hired by the #NFL two years ago, he says Roger Goodell asked him for the major health issues he believed needed to be addressed. After concussions, Sills listed behavioral health and pain management. Around the same time, in the spring of 2017, the players union filed a grievance alleging that the #NFL and its teams conspired to violate the terms of the CBA regarding the use and dispensation of opioids and other prescription painkillers; it cited a federal lawsuit filed by the widow of former #NFL fullback Charles Evans. “We had significant concerns,” Mayer says, “but I truly feel this is a great example of something good coming out of a disagreement.”

What stole the headlines when the health and safety agreements were announced in May is that the #NFL and the players union agreed for the first time to work together on studying alternative pain management therapies for players, including marijuana. They’ll do so as part of two new joint medical committees that will make recommendations on policies and practices for pain management and #mentalhealthandwellness. A new prescription drug monitoring program will also track all prescriptions issued to players, reviewed by both the league and the union.

At last week’s summit, team employees listened to a 15-minute presentation on alternatives to opioids, followed by the CBD update led by Kevin Hill, an addiction psychiatrist and author of Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth About The World’s Most Popular Weed. (The MMQB was only invited to sit in on the first hour of the summit, including introductory remarks and a session on the behavioral health practices.) Sills said the joint pain management committee has already met with a couple of experts about the current state of research and will explore ways they might be able to further ongoing research into marijuana and its derivatives. Several players have advocated for the NFL to change its policies to permit marijuana use for pain management, but Goodell and medical advisors on both sides continue to indicate that more information is needed.

“My opinion, and there are a lot of us who share it, is that opinions and attitudes are far outstretching the science behind CBD right now,” Mayer said. Added Sills: “We are open-minded to look at every aspect of how we can better treat pain, but it’s from a data-driven perspective. … We will let the science take us where we need to go.”

As players begin reporting to training camps this month, teams will start sharing information on the new #mentalhealth and pain management rules. It’s not a coincidence they’ll be addressed together; one affects the other. The goal, NiiLampti said, is to work with players to prevent an emergency or crisis stage, and that these services can help in optimizing player health and performance. Some clubs, like the one that has a “prevention team,” to this end, are farther along. Others are still figuring out the clinician’s office location. “Guys care about that,” Thomas says.

“I think we will have some … where there’ll be some players who maybe are held out, or missed games or practices for ‘medical reasons,’ That'll just be the end of it,” Sills says. “And we should all be comfortable with that reality.”

• Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
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James Donaldson notes:

 
Welcome to the "next chapter" of my life... being a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle 

 
ON A seemingly ordinary Thursday morning last May, respected Brisbane gastroenterologist Andrew Bryant went to work but never came home.

Shortly after arriving at his practice, the 54-year-old ended his life. He didn’t write a note, leaving his wife Susan and their four children to wonder what had gone so horribly wrong.
But the reality is that Dr. Bryant’s story is tragically common in Australia, with staggering rates of suicide in a vocation that’s devoted to health and wellbeing.
“I’ve learned that the medical profession is one of the worst industries statistically in terms of mental health outcomes,” Dr. Bryant’s son John, 26, told news.com.au
“Considering it’s a caring profession, it seems that far too many don’t care for themselves, which is surprising and alarming.”

Dr. Andrew Bryant took his life in May last year, part of a serious problem in the medical profession.

 

 

Data shows that medical professionals are more likely to die by suicide than the general population — female doctors 2.2 times more, male doctors 1.4 times.
Young doctors at significant risk, with 20 per cent of trainees experiencing suicidal thoughts.
A cluster of suicides among doctors over the past two years sent shockwaves through the profession and prompted an urgent response from the Australian Medical Association.
Reliable, recent figures are difficult to come by but the most indicative data shows that there were 369 suicides by health professionals between 2001 and 2012.
Today, a senior doctor who has lost three colleagues, published a powerful piece in the Medical Journal of Australia demanding widespread systemic change.
“In recent Australian surveys, one in five students reported suicidal ideation in the preceding 12 months, while 50 percent of junior doctors experienced moderate to high levels of distress,” Ann McCormack, an endocrinology specialist at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, wrote.
“What seems clear to me is that inherent traits in the individuals who choose a career in medicine, and often create excellent doctors, also set them up for high rates of distress.”
What’s happening to put our doctors in such precarious positions and what’s being done?
OUT OF THE BLUE
John’s beloved father, who exemplified the image of a community-minded family man, was the last person he expected to be at risk of suicide.
“My dad was a very energetic person and a lot of fun to be around,” the Brisbane paralegal recalled.
“He was quite generous with his time and involved in lots of different things, volunteering quite often. He was a good person. He was happy.
“As well as a gastroenterologist, he was an Air Force reservist. He loved to cycle on the weekends as a hobby and go sailing. He kept very busy.”
Throughout October and November, news.com.au has been highlighting the issue of men’s mental health with the campaign The Silent Killer: Let’s Make Some Noise in support of Gotcha4Life and Movember.
Gotcha4Life is dedicated to an in-school program helping educate young men about resilience and the importance of friendships and runs a scholarship program with Lifeline to train more males counselors.

John Bryant, pictured with his late father Andrew, said his dad was the last person to be at risk of suicide.
 

 

In the days following his death, Andrew’s grief-stricken wife Susan wrote a heartfelt email to her law firm colleagues to explain what had happened.
“I don’t want it to be a secret that Andrew committed suicide,” she said, encouraging recipients to share her words.
They did and the message quickly went viral on social media, adding to calls for more resources dedicated to reversing suicide rates among medical professionals.
“He hadn’t been sleeping well since late February, but he was never a great sleeper,” she said. “He was very busy with work, but he had always been busy. In retrospect, the signs were all there. But I didn’t see it coming.
“He was a doctor; he was surrounded by health professionals every day; both his parents were psychiatrists, two of his brothers are doctors, his sister is a psychiatric nurse — and none of them saw it coming either,”

 

John said his dad seemed a bit flat in the weeks before he died. Work was busy and he was more stressed than normal, but there was nothing significant to raise a red flag.
“In retrospect, there were signs that he was struggling but at the time it wasn’t enough to make us concerned. We thought he seemed a bit flat but not that he was at risk of suicide.”
Young trainee Sydney doctor Chloe Abbott took her life in January 2017, just months after cracks began to appear and her concerned family begged her to quit medicine.
Like so many others beginning their careers, she was juggling a 60-hour work week at a hospital with a 30-hour study load on top. It left no downtime to see her loved ones.

Chloe Abbott was lost in January 2017 to suicide due to the pressure of being a junior doctor. Source: Supplied

 
 

 

That’s not an anomaly. Data shows doctors aged 30 and under work the longest hours of any age group and industry in Australia.
That cohort also scores highest on the three measures of burnout risk in medicine — emotional exhaustion, high cynicism, and low professional efficacy.
Her colleagues thought she “had it all”, her mother Leonie said, and Chloe’s death “rocked them to their core and it shattered their beliefs”.
“They would be thinking if Chloe couldn’t do it, how can I do it?” Leonie said. “If Chloe couldn’t manage this life as a doctor, how on earth can I do it? Then they would look at themselves as far less resilient and capable than Chloe.”

Leonie Eagles with daughters Jessica and Micaela Abbott, who has taken on advocacy for mental health in medicine since the death of Chloe.
 

Her family has become lobbyists for a transformation of the “toxic” culture of medicine, which saw them receive a Pride of Australia medal for their work.
Dr. McCormack said she felt compelled to write about the still-taboo issue of doctors who suicide after a spate of personal experiences.
“Over a matter of months, two female junior doctors committed suicide at our hospital, and more recently, suicide entered my inner circle with the death of one my close male colleagues,” she said.
“Such stories are not unusual in our profession.”
OUR UNWELL DOCTORS
Dr. Bryant had never shown any signs of depression, anxiety or any other mental illnesses.
But around Easter last year, he seemed to be increasingly anxious about work. He was behind on administrative tasks, he began to doubt his abilities and his spirit appeared crushed.
“I did what I could to help where I could, but I was confused,” Susan said.
“He’d always been busy and the practice, as far as I could tell, was running just as it had for the last 20 years.”
A week later, he was on call for Brisbane’s public hospitals in what turned out to be “one of the worst on-call weeks he had ever had”, she said.

Dr. Andrew Bryant with his daughter Charlotte and wife Susan.

 

John Bryant has turned his attention to fundraising and raising awareness of mental health.

 

 

By the end of it, he was exhausted but still unable to sleep. The following Tuesday, he was distraught after the death of a patient.
“Andrew was always upset when any of his patients died, but his level of distress, in this case, was unusual,” Susan said.
Almost two years on, she has come face-to-face with the enormous internal and external expectations faced by doctors, and the alarming consequences it can lead to.
Before she died, Chloe wrote about the pressures she and her colleagues were feeling and implored the industry to change from within.
“As competition for places has intensified, academic research experience has become an increasingly significant point of difference for trainees, but this is yet to be reflected in many pathways currently available in Australia,” she wrote.
“Instead, trainees are burdened with meeting their clinical training requirements while simultaneously attempting to pursue academic research, often leaving them in difficult financial circumstances — the remuneration of these endeavors is significantly less than a full-time medical trainee income.”

Doctors are more likely to die by suicide than the general population, with women and trainee doctors at most risk.
 

Perfectionism is rife among doctors, Dr. McCormack wrote, which can contribute to success as well as a mental health downfall.
“Among the medical workforce, work-life balance is poorly practiced and modeled,” Dr. McCormack wrote.
“In fact, there is a subtle undertone rampant within the medical fraternity, in which late-night emails, missing a child’s school concert, publishing multiple articles a year, and not taking annual leave to become unvoiced indicators of a truly committed doctor.”
In addition to extraordinary pressure, numerous reviews and investigations have revealed a disturbing underbelly in medicine.
A 2016 survey in Victoria found 25 percent of health staff had experienced workplace bullying, while a similar probe in 2014 found 40 percent of nurses had been harassed in the previous 12 months.
In 2015, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons found that 49 percent of respondents had been subjected to discrimination, bullying, harassment or sexual harassment.
And last year the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine released the results of a member survey that found 34 percent of respondents had experienced bullying, 21.7 percent discrimination, 16.1 percent harassment, and 6.2 percent sexual harassment.

Chloe Abbott’s mother Leonie Eagles has become an advocate for the issue of doctors who suicide.
 

Johanna Westbrook from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University said the alarming trends posed a risk to both doctor and patient safety.
A Senate Inquiry conducted in 2016 into the medical complaints process in Australia recommended that governments, hospitals, colleges, and universities commit to eliminating bullying and harassment.
But Professor Westbrook said it “provided little direction as to how this should occur”.
Adding to the problem is a finding by Beyond Blue that 58 percent of doctors feel embarrassed when seeking treatment for mental health issues.
 

Abbott family win Pride of Australia award for mental health campaigning

A serious stigma is prevalent in medicine, particularly when it comes to conditions like depression and anxiety. According to Beyond Blue, 47 percent of doctors admitted they were less likely to employ someone who has a history of mental illness.
And 44 percent of doctors felt depression or anxiety were signs of weakness.
“If doctors do not deal with the mental health issues they are experiencing, it can affect their ability to deliver the best care,” the organization’s boss Kate Carnell said.
TRAINEE DOCTOR CRISIS
Following the spate of deaths in recent years, Australian Medical Students Association president Robert Thomas said greater support is needed.
“Students put in a lot of effort and a lot of emotional baggage comes with medical studies, especially when you’re not making any money,” Dr. Thomas said.
“The struggle is hard these days, not only for an internship but getting on to a training pathway. I think that really adds to students’ stresses and workloads because everyone’s trying to get that Ph.D. or do that extra research project to stand out from the growing crowd.”

John Bryant has turned his efforts to fundraising for Beyond Blue after his father and respected gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Bryant took his own life.

 

 
The Beyond Blue research found 43 percent of medical students had a high likelihood of experiencing a minor psychiatric disorder. By comparison, the risk of high psychological distress in the general population is 2.6 percent.

Chloe’s relatives want to see safe working hours, breaks, more adequate compensation and a serious focus on cultural change.
“That work falls to other colleagues that are already under immense stress … you’re seen as that person who’s letting the team down,” her sister Micaela said.
WE NEED TO DO MORE
Since his father’s death, John has thrown himself into initiatives that raise funds for and awareness of mental health.
Last year, he and his brother Nick took part in the Noosa triathlon and together raised $28,000 for Beyond Blue.
John signed up again this year and has so far raised more than $8000 for the charity. He is also an ambassador for Bicycle Queensland, acting as a mental health ambassador.
“It has been completely devastating. This isn’t something we’ll ever really get over. You become better at dealing with it, I think, but it’s still very difficult. It doesn’t go away.
“I’m trying to make some positives out of a really bad experience. Hopefully, we can learn from what happened and help some other people.”

Doctors are unwilling to seek help if they’re struggling with mental health issues, research has found.
 

In her piece, Dr. McCormack said a raft of system-wide changes were needed, including senior doctors investing in the improvement of their physical and mental health to set an example for juniors.
“Doctors need to learn how to be kinder to themselves and extend compassion towards the struggles of both junior and senior colleagues,” she said.
“Medical students should be selected not just on academic performance, but increasingly sophisticated aptitude testing should be used.”
A greater monitoring of the mental health of medical students should be prioritized, she said, and broader wellbeing programs for professionals at all levels should be mandatory.
“Helping doctors build resilience may be protective against burnout and suicide in times of personal hardship,” she said.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visitlifeline.org.au.
Find out more about the work of Gotcha4Life by visiting gotcha4life.org.
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-there-are-serious-problems-in-our-medical-industry-with-an-alarming-number-of-doctors-taking-their-own-lives-they-get-paid-bucketloads-of-money-but-a-dark-trend/