Earlier this spring, former NBA player Larry Sanders spoke out about his struggles with anxiety and depression and his exit from the league. Someone with Sanders’ celebrity status can reach a large number of people in America and throughout the World, lessening the stigma associated with mental illness. People avoid discussing mental illness, even though it is more and more common in society.
Mental Illness affects all ages. The young people who may be bullied on the playground may experience the first thoughts of self-worth and victimization. Senior citizens may reside in retirement centers or skilled care facilities, only to be consumed by doubt, loneliness and depression. We rarely speak about mental health, especially among children, even though millions of young adults experience the pain of a psychiatric disorder.
Left ignored and untreated, early mental illness leaves children and adolescents at a higher risk for academic failure, school dropout, alcohol and substance abuse, entering the juvenile justice system and even suicide. My wife and I have a nephew who graduated from a small, private parochial school two weeks ago. They paused during the commencement exercises to remember three of his classmates who had died, two from suicide.
Larry Sanders, if you are not familiar with his background, is 26 years old, and played Division I basketball for Virginia Commonwealth University. He stands 6 feet, 11 inches tall, and played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. His salary, reported for 2013, was $1.9 million a year.
"It's a scary thing to walk away from security, but I'm more afraid of living with the 'what if,'" said Sanders. It may seem ridiculous to compare the concerns of a professional athlete with those of struggling young people. By his example, Sanders is encouraging everyone to leave behind the security of silence and embrace that "what if." There is no shame in being open and seeking treatment.
Crossroads of Western Iowa touches the lives of many individuals who have serious mental illness. Our goal is to assist, coach and empower them to find their independence and regain their self-confidence. Crossroads is one agency, covering Western Iowa in the communities of Council Bluffs, Missouri Valley, Onawa and Sioux City. However, there are several agencies we collaborate with, and some we refer to as resources. Arbor Family Counseling and Community Alliance are two of several agencies who serve individuals in need of support for their form of mental illness.
Should you have additional questions, please call CWI at 712-642-4114, and ask to speak to a program director. Crossroads of Western Iowa provides residential, employment and day habilitation (called LINKS) services throughout Western Iowa.
(Attributions: Huffington Post and The Players Tribune, 2015)
Ric Miller | Director of Development & Communications | Crossroads of Western Iowa
