Leon Pryce

[ckn]

A good article about him and his problems in the Guardian today.

It's an issue that I think rugby is way ahead of many other sports in due to player issues in the past and high-profile campaigns but there's still more to do in transitioning players into non-players.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

It's also good to see that he's going to help other players that find themselves in his situation, as it'd be easier for them to talk to someone they would regard as 'one of their own' than an outside councillor, particularly given the macho culture in RL.

[Bob8]

20 minutes ago, Chronicler of Chiswick said:

It's also good to see that he's going to help other players that find themselves in his situation, as it'd be easier for them to talk to someone they would regard as 'one of their own' than an outside councillor, particularly given the macho culture in RL.

I think much of it is the nature of a sports career.

You go from being paid to stay healthy and refine your physical skill.  You perform in front of crowds and get acclaim.   Your career is also based very much about yourself and being the best player you can be.

Cricket has a bigger problem, which makes sense.  Those players spend their lives travelling with their team.

[Tongs ya bas]

Depression is a deep seated existential illness.

Stress and other factors aren't the causes of it, they are triggers for the release of it. It is something that has been there a long time, probably always, and it finds a way out. Serotonins aren't selective.

I very much doubt that sports stars suffer from depression more than other sections of society. But maybe the triggers are there in a way of life where self image and self esteem are at the front of one's approach to life.

Being open about depression matters a lot. It means people get an  understanding of the illness. I said 'get an understanding', rather than 'understand', because I feel strongly that the only people who really understand are sufferers themselves. It means that sufferers don't feel isolated...they get enough of those kinds of feelings as it is, and feel a part of the society that they feel alien from for much of the time.

Depression is not being very sad, or extremely fed up, or 'down', or anything like that.

It is an extremely destructive illness. It means that one has a catastrophically negative view of themselves as a human being. It means being so wracked with feelings of guilt, shame, inadequacy and alienation, that the sufferer no matter how successful they are, materially well off, or loved they are feels unworthy of their existence to the extent that they struggle to relate to those around them, function at often an even basic level, and often feel as though they are not entitled to live.

Well done Leon Pryce.

[Rawschach]

Excellent post

Well done Leon as well giving something back.