Basketball players are dialed in, football players are dropping out
Also, you can listen to all the Joni Mitchell songs and you should
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Clippers players eschew the toxic male stigma bullshit
ABC News has a feature on LA Clippers players Paul George and Reggie Jackson who take a more enlightened view of mental health than is historically typical of male athletic environments.
George added, "It's always just checking in to see, you know how the person is -- everybody is expected to perform to the highest level -- I tend to be in my head on most occasions when I'm having a lot of anxiety. I'm the person that reads the room and sits back, you know, analyze a lot of things and it could hurt me at times."
He continued, "I think the more that we can just talk about it, the more that we can make it normal, normalize the situation I think people will start to be able to address it themselves."
"We are mind, body and spirit, so you got to take care of all aspects and understand that without having them all in sync, you really can't move and feel well," Jackson added on his holistic view of mental health.
The pair talk about the superhero image of athletes and about positive experiences with therapy. None of what’s said by the players is particularly unique compared to lots of conversations about mental health but it’s not something that was ever talked about in professional sports even a few years ago. And that’s a win.
All NFL players injured from Hamlin incident
The horrific on-field medical emergency during Monday night’s NFL game between Buffalo and Cincinnati involving Bills player Damar Hamlin was a physical situation. The Bills report that Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. But for other players on the field and, it turns out, around the league, it quickly became an issue of trauma.
The NFL must now reckon with the impact of this incident not just on Hamlin, but also his peers. Questions have been raised about when players—not just on the Bills and Bengals, but all around the league—might feel comfortable proceeding with the season. Some were on the field and witnessed what happened first hand. Others could have seen it on television and imagined themselves in their colleague’s shoes.
Talks about whether or not some NFL players will feel ready to play by this weekend have already started, and some have expressed a desire to have the games delayed.
I watch NFL football. I enjoy it. I hate myself for enjoying this systematic maiming of human beings but still I watch. And still I wonder if there should be football at all. And I know that there shouldn’t be. Lots of people feel this way.
The aftermath of the Hamlin incident, however, is unique in that there is an existential question being put forth by actual players as to whether this can or should continue. Which makes it feel already like it can’t.
Then again, these are always fun:
Meanwhile, the NFL, er, tackled the mental health crisis among their players by sending a MEMO.
“Earlier today, the Head of Player Engagement and Team Clinician for each club received information from Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti about mental health and support resources that are available to your players and staff,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo to chief executives, club presidents, general managers and head coaches. “Additional resources including on-site services can be available for any club that wishes this assistance.”
You can tell about a student’s mental health risk by what they’re studying
That’s the indication from new research out of Northern Ireland.
It found psychology students reported elevated rates of panic disorder and social anxiety, while law students had the highest alcohol misuse rates.
Business students reported the highest rate of drug abuse, with nursing students the least likely to report psychological problems.
…
Specific degree courses may also attract those who are more susceptible to mental health problems.
"For example, it has been found that students who study humanities, social work and counselling were more likely to report childhood adversities," the paper said.
"These factors may not only attract individuals towards specific degrees but also predispose them to poorer mental wellbeing."
This doesn’t surprise me about people pursuing degrees in psychology or social work. I’ve heard as much from psychologists and social workers. But it has the potential added aspect of probably discouraging people from going into those field. So that’s awesome. I’m being sarcastic.
Joni Mitchell’s catalog is now on YouTube
It’s not on Spotify but you can listen to it all on YouTube and you should because she’s pretty much the fucking best.
I mean listen to this.
I mean come on. Listen to this.
I mean come on.
Paulina Porizkova on the podcast on Monday
She starred in the video for “Drive” by the Cars. It was part of an abandoned concept EP by the Cars with a song for each of the gears on an automatic transmission but they never finished the songs “Park” or “Reverse” or “Neutral” or “Low”. None of that is true but she did star in that video.
In fact it was on the set of that video that she met Ric Ocasek, lead singer of the Cars even though he did not sing on this track. Then they got married and some 30 years later, they separated, he died, and she got left out of the will. We had a good talk.