I have heard an amazing interview with Michael Phelps and Mike Tirico on the Peacock
GUESS WHAT FOLKS everyone has problems, just at varying degrees. Get over the
stigma and talk about your problems. Phelps made a lot of points but the one point that resonated the most with me and as a goalie was Communication. He mentioned that the only way to break the stigma is to have a conversation with someone who not only supports you but knows how to listen as well. Hearing is NOT the same as listening, because
you have to be able to respond to what the other person is saying, especially when it comes to mental health. Before you sign up to support someone who is struggling with mental health, you have to expect to spend some time with the person who has asked you to listen their problems/issue. Communicating your issue(s) is the first step, because I know from experience when I launched Goalies Matter, that it felt like Therapy to me. The fact that I could share my story, as well as others, and show my vulnerability has helped me not only deal or accept my issues from the past through now, but also be more open to accept others and their struggles they deal with when it comes to mental health. The more we talk about it, the more we bring it up then we can break the stigma and accept the fact the Mental Health is real, and most Americans suffer from some sort of Mental Health issues.
If you want to talk, email me, call me, use this website and the forums and peer-to-peer groups to help you cope with your issues or concerns, because if we don't start talking then we feel alone and in a dark place. Goalies Matter is an open and safe place to discuss your issues. Remember this....It's OK to NOT be OK!!!! Just be you, and don't worry about what others say, if they saying things about you, let them they have other issues they are unwilling to accept. I look at it this way, if they are talking about you, hey they recognize you and they might even be a but jealous of you, probably because of how AWESOME YOU ARE!!! Godspeed.