There are two things that never seem to be mentioned in the same sentence: mental health and sports. But it seems as though the dialogue may be changing slowly thanks to one football player.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall is changing the conversation on mental health. The football star was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a mental health disorder that, according to Mayo Clinic, “generates significant emotional instability” and can lead to other behavioral and mental problems.
Marshall made a short, five-minute video with GQ that shows a somewhat intimate view into his life, both on the field and off. In it, Marshall discusses his 2011 diagnosis, his struggle with BPD and his current campaign to raise awareness on the topic.
And that awareness raising could not have come at a better time.
A month ago, one of America’s most beloved actors and comedians died so suddenly that no one knew how to take it. Robin Williams suffered from depression and possibly bipolar disorder, from both of which he seemed to suffer in silence. However, it seems to make sense after the fact; go back and look at any scene where Williams is smiling or happy and you can almost see him trying too hard to be authentic.
In late May of this year, we witnessed a tragedy as a nation after Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree in Santa Barbara, California. The debate of mental illness being the cause of the horrific acts continues, but regardless of whether or not Rodger was mentally ill, it still brought attention to the subject. The prevalence of mental illness being the cause of violent crime is a whole other issue.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is estimated that as of 2012, more than 18.6 percent of U.S. adults —43.7 million people—have some sort of mental illness. That’s an incredibly huge number of people that go virtually unseen and uncared for.
Brandon Marshall is outspoken with his support and campaigning for the cause and was even fined for wearing shoes whose colors were not authorized by the NFL in support for mental health awareness. His past is by no means a clean slate, with multiple arrests on his record for violent and reckless behavior, but his outspoken approach to his mental struggles may help put those things into perspective.
With football season upon us, speaking out on an issue that affects so many in a profession that requires the utmost level of masculinity is bold. But it’s also a conversation that needs to be had in order to truly raise awareness and get the gears of change moving.
