Overcoming Depression
- Football offensive tackle and captain of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, 34-year-old Lane Johnson, overcame depression, anxiety, and even thoughts of quitting his sport, through support and not being afraid to ask for help.
- His courage and determination to power through adversity has certainly inspired others like himself to be honest with their struggles and seek help when needed. Johnson is now a two-time Super Bowl champion.
- Prioritizing your mental health is important. Some ways to do that are seeking professional help if you are struggling, trying therapy, seeking medication and practicing mindfulness/meditation.
- Medication isn’t necessary for everyone, but one of our experts says genetic testing can help determine the best course of mental health treatment for people struggling with issues like anxiety and depression.
- More than ever, it’s important to reach out for support (or let those going through it know you care). Don’t hesitate contacting your doctor or a mental health professional today. While waiting for your visit, SurvivorNet’s mental health guide can help you on your way.
Johnson, who has been a part of the Eagles’ team for 12-years and is now a two-time Super Bowl champion, previously opened up about his mental health struggles and has since become an advocate for others needing to communicate their feelings and seek help.
Read MoreRecounting the stressful episode to ESPN in 2023, he explained, “I was really scared how my body was responding. I didn’t feel right. My ankle was f***ed up. I didn’t want to play no more.”
Check Out SurvivorNet’s Mental Health Resource Page
However, it wasn’t until he had a talk with his psychiatrist that he chose to return to his teammates and tell them about how he had been grappling with his mental health. His efforts ultimately offered others the courage to speak whenever feeling down or dealing with a personal struggle.
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) October 18, 2021
He told ESPN, “I’ve never had any siblings, so being in a locker room, those guys are my brothers. I can tell from body language, I can tell from a lot of stuff that people are not doing good.
“So my thing is to just talk to them … to get personal with them and really tell them how I was feeling very similar, and I know what you’re feeling, I know what you’re going through.”
Speaking to Fox Sports on how he was able to return to play on Oct. 2021, he said, “It took a lot of time to really focus on myself to get the help I needed and to get into a good mindset again.”
He offers the following advice to others in a similar situation, “I’d say find your … closest friend, family member. Tell a loved one. And if it’s to a degree of seriousness, there’s always help around the corner.
“That’s the thing. It’s not far. It’s never out of reach. And whenever you do this, you realize that you have a lot more in common with everybody else around you than you think.”
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Recounting when Johnson returned to his team, recovered from his ankle injury, and overcame his medication withdrawal, his trainer Gabe Rangel told ESPN, “I remember we were in the barn and he was being emotional. He was just like, ‘I love football, and I want to go down as one of the best, and I know I can do this.’
“And I was like, ‘All right, well, let’s get everything else in life back in order and we’ll go from there.'”
On October 18, 2021, Johnson informed his fans on social media, “I appreciate the positive notes and messages as I’ve worked hard to restore my personal life.
“Depression and anxiety are things I’ve dealt with for a long time and have kept hidden from my friends and family. If you’re reading this and struggling, please know that you are not alone.”
We’re happy to see Johnson was able to overcome his struggles through his support system and by being open about what he was dealing with, which led him to seek help.
.@JayGlazer and @Eagles OT @LaneJohnson65 sat down to have an open conversation about mental health and the every day struggles that impact people that suffer from anxiety and depression. pic.twitter.com/CeKGYVCfGW
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 31, 2021
Being Optimistic & Coping With Mental Health Long Term
People may turn to many different avenues to help them cope with mental health struggles, like the ones Lane Johnson dealt with, such as traditional therapy, support groups, meditation, and sometimes medical intervention such as antidepressants.
When faced with a new challenge, it’s important to make sure that these coping mechanisms you have to care for your mental health continue to work throughout the process.
“I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet. “Are your coping strategies that you’re using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?”
SurvivorNetTV Presents: Breaking the Cycle The Power of Mindset
Dr. Boardman encourages people who may be struggling with their mental well-being to take stock of their belief system and ask themselves the following questions:
- Could these beliefs be harming me (like feelings of self-doubt or negativity)?
- Is my mindset holding me back from positive steps forward?
Dr. Boardman suggests working to recognize any negative thoughts that may be making the process of cancer treatment more difficult, and trying to dismantle those to be more “realistically optimistic.”
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Taking care of your mental health isn’t always easy, but it should always be a priority. One place to start is simply being aware of how you’re feeling and reflecting on any changes you’ve noticed in your emotions or behaviors.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, you should see a professional if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of your mood
- Trouble concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy
- Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities
It’s important to try to get help before your symptoms of a mental health issue become overwhelming. Talk with your primary care doctor about any concerns you’re having, so they can refer you to a mental health professional if needed.
How to Fix Relationships When Depression Hits A Survivors Guide
Therapy can also be a way of taking care of your mental health. But know you might need to shop around for the right therapist. Ovarian cancer survivor Ni Guttenfelder says finding the right counselor allowed her to work through the complex emotions of her cancer battle.
“One of the things that my counselor has taught me from the very beginning that has helped me is the concept of acceptance,” she said. “Acceptance is a process. It’s like downloading a computer file in increments. Visualizing it in that way has really helped me.”
Meditation and practicing mindfulness can also be great tools in mental health care. Dr. Deepak Chopra, acclaimed author and pioneer of mindfulness movement, previously spoke with SurvivorNet about mindfulness. He says asking yourself who you are is the first step on the path to practicing mindfulness.
“If we can combine our actions in the world with reflective self inquiry, love and compassion, and a state of secure, stable, ornamental, peaceful being without the addictions that humans have, then we can begin our journey of healing,” Dr. Chopra explained.
In addition, medications can also help people with a mental health illness. They are not necessary for everyone, but medications can make a difference. And there should be no shame attached to taking them.
That being said, it can be tricky to find the right one and your needs may change over time. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says genetic testing through Genomind can help. It gives a profile of how a person is likely to respond to different types of psychiatric medications.
MORE: How Can Genetic Testing Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment?
“Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology,” Dr. Plutchik told SurvivorNet. “It’s something that I highly recommend for anybody that is taking medication, whether they are being treated for cancer, or not.
“I recommend it for children who are taking medication. I recommend it for elderly people. Anybody who is taking medication, I think, can greatly benefit from genetic testing.”
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- What type of treatment should I seek if I’m struggling with negative thoughts?
- Are there any local support groups for people in my situation?
- How might struggling with mental health affect my treatment?
- Should I consider medical interventions such as antidepressants?
Building Support, Staying Connected
If you’re struggling with a health issue, whether it be cancer or your mental health, you likely know about the wide range of emotions that news can bring.
A team of supporters is always helpful. Your supporters can be close family members, friends, or people outside your inner circle.
“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friends circle.” New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik previously told SurvivorNet that they feel like they have enough support there.
“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it is important to reach out to a mental health professional,” she added.
Remember, the choice to share or not share one’s diagnosis is a personal one for anyone facing the disease, even if they’re not a celebrity. While some people choose to share only with close friends and family, others post their entire journey on social media, create blogs and detail their treatments, side effects and doctor reports.
Expert Resources On Coping With Emotions
- Responding to Stress: How to Cope With Complex & Changing Emotions
- How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term
- New Hard Evidence That Exercise Measurably Reduces Anxiety– 150 Minutes Per Week Makes The Difference
- Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
- Genetic Testing Can Match Those Living With Anxiety, Depression & More With Proper Medication
- How to Fix Relationships When Depression Hits – A Survivor’s Guide
- Changing the Culture: Medical Professionals Shouldn’t be Ashamed to Seek Mental Health Treatment
- Insomnia, Pain Tolerance, and Anxiety: Addressing Your Unmet Mental Health Needs
According to Dr. Renee Exelbert, a licensed psychologist and founding director of The Metamorphosis Center for Psychological and Physical Change in New York, the decision to openly disclose or not disclose one’s diagnosis may be made more complicated for someone in the public eye, as they may feel pressure to serve as a role model, or to use their notable platform for the greater good.
She says public figures and celebrities are often held to a harsher standard, frequently having their appearance and behaviors rigorously evaluated. This might make hiding a cancer diagnosis more difficult and may also make disclosing a cancer diagnosis a greater burden to bear.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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