“Know when you need to get help. The first couple steps to recognize if you’re depressed or if you have anxiety, if you’re upset about something. Recognizing that and having the strength to talk to someone about that. From my 1st year to my 3rd year I didn’t tell anyone. I think I would’ve been a different person or a different place if I had told someone earlier but I think if you recognize that you are going through some mental health issues, tell someone right away. Even if it’s just a teammate, a random comment or a text ‘we need to talk’, meet face to face and share with someone you are comfortable with. Don’t hold that inside because that will kind of screw you up.
I think the hardest part is the whole stigma about it. I’m so opened about it now but when I was first diagnosed with depression I was like, I was afraid to tell people. I would hide my medication in my room, I would have friends over, like my anti depressants I didn’t want them to see. And I think that’s the hardest part, even having something like that is the judgment that comes with it. I think now it’s so common that people are starting to talk about it a lot more, the whole #bellletstalk movement and stuff. But even before all that I wouldn’t even want to tell my sister. So I think how I deal with it, like not even just medication, that saved my life, that helped me every single day but I think I deal with it by telling myself it’s normal, it happens to so many people. And I think talking about it really helps. Writing my blog trying to inspire others, I got people from other countries messaging me saying, ‘I’m going through the same thing and your blog saved me.’ And I think that’s how I deal with it, sharing my story.” – Mercedes Hamilton, Former Division 1 Field Hockey Player. (6/8)
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