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Post by Muzzammil Chaudhry on May 6, 2017 11:49:08 GMT -4
This article really made me think on how important it is to pay attention to little details when dealing with patients, friends, or family. Usually when talking to people, one barely goes deeper than the surface when engaging in small talk. People facing psychiatric issues of any regard will usually give some signs of their illness without even knowing it. It is important to pick up on these little signs in order to help someone before their illness consumes them like with David Freese. Many people do not even seek help and that is why it is so important to pay attention to small details to really understand someone. It is obviously better to open a dialogue with someone rather then having them turn to abusing substances to cope with their illness. So the next time you ask someone how they are feeling, pay closer attention or ask more questions if you are concerned at all.
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Post by Michael Colfax on May 6, 2017 17:45:28 GMT -4
This article is very interesting and brings up a view that most people do not experience for themselves. Most people do not have the opportunity to become professional athletes and understand the mental challenges that they must face. Having played varsity sports in high school and college, I can see how the pressure of not just winning but also the surrounding environment can put an athlete in a downward spiral. The idea that Freese was able to reach the pinnacle of his sport ended up placed more fame, money, responsibilities, expectations and stress. The general public has this idea that most addicts have lower social economic status and that they have not accomplished many things in their life. This is far from the truth with Freese. It is interesting to see how things would have turned out had he not been the “man” of St. Louis baseball. I can only imagine that he tackled the battle with addiction as he had tackled his sporting career, which most likely helped him to recovery and get his baseball career back on track. This is a very interesting case to show that anyone can get depression. To show that depression is a serious illness that many have to fight and overcome. Freese is an example showing that with determination and most likely some help, it is possible to turn your life around even when things are looking down.
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Post by Kwadwo A Ansong on May 7, 2017 20:41:54 GMT -4
The article shined light on how depression affects all regardless of social status. People saw David Freese and probably thought he had it all going for him not knowing his struggles. Being in the public eye and a star can make problems worse like it happened to David, as their status may prevent them from seeking help. But people should be encouraged not to hide their mental health problems. Sharing his story will help others experiencing similar problems know that seeking treatment will help them get over their struggles or keep the struggle under control.
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Post by ahmadirshad on May 8, 2017 2:25:10 GMT -4
In American Culture we see famous people in a different lens then the average person. We see them as perfect and flawless, they are idolized and sometimes even worshipped. However, we are all susceptible to the mental health issues. With the deaths of famous people such as Heath Ledger and Robin Williams among many others, one can see that being in the limelight brings extra pressure and greater level of scrutiny. David Freese is using his status to highlight the stigmas of depression and personalize his story so others can benefit. We should all see famous individuals as you would your friends and family, susceptible to all sorts of issues and problems.
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Post by Alejandro Macias (MS3) UMHS on May 10, 2017 8:37:50 GMT -4
For World Servies MVP, David Freese, depression and substance abuse has been part of his whole life, until he started working with a licensed clinical social worker. I think reading about Freese’s struggles with depression and alcoholism can inspire others to think about their own personal struggles. Freese openly admits in the article that although he is a success in baseball, none of that mattered because of his thinking and inability to deal with his emotions. Freese is able to describe his therapeutic process perfectly for others. He states that his therapist did not tell him what to do, but truly aimed to get to know him and ultimately taught him skills, such as how to retrain his thoughts and how to derive joy from life through hobbies and renewed purpose. This article has the potential to reach others who are suffering from depression and alcoholism and may not know that they can enjoy their lives and learn how to manage their symptoms. From Freese’s success with therapy, he contends that his life has been renewed and that he can embrace his career, new marriage, and hobbies with a revitalized energy because he has ultimately learned the skills needed to get through his roughest times - an implied challenge to anyone who may be experiencing similar obstacles. It surely can be done.
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Post by Shreyas Kanthadi on May 10, 2017 20:17:26 GMT -4
Money... Fame.. the "Limelight" may all seem great as a star athlete but behind the scenes and the "mask" they put on in front of everyone lies their true state of mind. This article did a great job highlighting David Freese's mental health off the field and away from the fans and TV cameras. Depression and mental health is something all Athletes face at some point in their career. Some Athletes get to a certain tipping point where it ultimately ruins there career and life. I'm Glad that Freese was able to realize the problems he was facing and was able to step away from resorting to Drugs and Alcohol to cope with his depression. After meeting his now Wife, he was able to find someone to share his emotions and problems with and seek the appropriate help he needed to not only get his life back on track but his professional career. Leaving his hometown and now settlind down with a new team and his wife is a great way to start fresh and put the past behind him. David Freese's story goes to show that no matter what life throws at you it is always good to share your problems with loved ones or people who you can trust.
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Mwamba Malekani MSIV-UMHS
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Post by Mwamba Malekani MSIV-UMHS on May 11, 2017 15:54:07 GMT -4
Mr. Freese describes self-medicating his depression with alcohol. I have found this quite prevalent in the patient population that I have interviewed not only at PACT Atlanta but in the general population. It is interesting that some individuals are highly functional, such as winning the World Series. The idea of wanting to please people is something many can understand combined with his depression. I think as with all patients no matter how functional an individual; it is important to provide a strong support system, therapy and medication if needed. Mr. Freese having such fame may make him more susceptible to substance abuse and make it more difficult to ask for help. It is honorable that Mr. Freese found more perspective in his life doing more activities outside of baseball and having a deeper knowledge of himself.
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Post by Renuka Bhisetti on May 11, 2017 18:44:12 GMT -4
Since we were young, we’ve always been told to never judge a book by its cover. Yet, we all still do it. We assume that because an individual is a celebrity, is wealthy, and has a successful career, that he or she is absolutely content with his or her life. David Freese’s story is a prime example of this – a hero to the public, but empty and hopeless on the inside. His story also taught us another important lesson – the value of a strong support system. Freese attributed his eventual recovery to “…being around Mairin and getting help…the foggy feeling I always had is now lifted.” As future physicians, it is essential for us to understand and to stress this value of strong family support and effective counseling to our patients, as it can help guide them through their difficult times.
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Post by Melvin George on May 11, 2017 19:37:13 GMT -4
It's interesting how many high profile and otherwise successful individuals deal with depression. Here is a man who won the world series in his hometown in spectacular fashion after saving his team from a game six defeat. Anyone could argue that he had it all. And he did. He had all of the pressure, the stress and challenges of being that hero, and being defined by a few moments in time. Luckily Freese was able to find some great help in the form of his wife and social worker Fleet Rand to redefine and discover the things that bring joy to his life.
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Post by Sudeep Rajpoot on May 12, 2017 1:38:34 GMT -4
Its amazing to see cases like this. People think that fame and money equal happiness, but, as seen in the case of David Freese, this is not accurate. I am happy that he shared his experience with depression and his road to recovery. It humanizes the people we look up to and helps people who are struggling with similar issues see that they are not alone and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. For David, his light was in the form of a woman named Mairin. She helped him find happiness and love. She also helped him meet Fleet Rand who was life changing because it gave him renewed hope in therapy. I glad to hear that hear the Freese is doing well and I hope his story inspires others to seek the help they need.
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Post by Rashonda Carlisle on May 23, 2017 17:28:26 GMT -4
This article displays the importance of ensuring proper mental health of not only athletes, but anyone constantly in the spotlight. Many times we forget that our idols, and supermen and superwomen are human as well and have downfalls, anxiety, stress, and even depression as seen here. The article also demonstrates that money does not equal happiness, and that being surrounded by people who love you does not mean you will not feel lonely. I also noted that the star player here never mentioned taking medication, but that instead he used a sport, the love and support of his wife and newly found close friend, and therapy as outlets to battle his depression and alcohol abuse. Medication is a great discovery, and is surely needed in some instances, but not all who have mental diseases need medication right away. As seen here, there are methods besides chemicals that can achieve the same effects. I pray that this article encourages others in the spotlight who secretly battle with mental diseases to seek help, because it is unnecessary to deal with it alone.
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Post by Fiyinfoluwa D Aderibigbe (FDA) on May 24, 2017 7:53:32 GMT -4
David's story played out like a movie with such a blissful end, that it could be mistaken for a fairy tale. But the correlation between David’s life and a fairytale is farfetched. David had a lot of struggles ranging from the pressures of winning, to his long history of dealing with depression, anxiety, alcohol consumption as well as to society’s expectations. A good support system is the bedrock of tackling mental health issues, and with his newly found support system (his wife) he was able to gain insight. Personally I feel the greatest bane in psychiatry is patients’ lack of insight. Once this hurdle is surmounted, it is easier for patients to seek and find help. Now David has a new lease on life, he’s even looking forward to his promising future with his wife, who incidentally had her own struggles.
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Post by Nyimasatta Jawo on May 24, 2017 9:46:18 GMT -4
This Article highlights some of the issues facing mental health treatments problems, but it also shows how a support system is crucial in treatment. Sometimes it just takes that one individual to help you turn your life around. You can have access to all the best treatment there is but without someone who understands your trials and tribulations daily to help walk you through it step by step can be hard. The article also highlights that having all the wealth in the world doesn't necessarily mean an individual will be happy or escape certain illnesses. This individual's happiness and improvement in treatment wasn't based on how much wealth and life accomplishments he had but rather having an individual understand his needs and help him manage his illness. Having a mental health issue is shunned in a lot of communities and thus it is harder to diagnose as individuals do not want the stigma associated with it. As such it's good to have people in influential position come out to support it and show people that it is a real illness but it's one that people can also survive.
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Post by Jocelyn Anyanwu on May 31, 2017 20:53:14 GMT -4
It is amazing how lives can be changed due to understanding and better management. David Freese shows how important it is to seek help and battle depression. It shows that depression can happen to anybody regardless of the socio-economic status. It is note-worthy to see that at the height of his success, he was feeling anything, but elated. Having battled depression almost all his life, he is finally coping well with it with the help of his wife. It is important to know that the thought of not being able to function in terms of baseball after his career is over became s source of anxiety and made his condition worse to the point of being scared of the unknown future. Living with depression is like living under a cloud, and it gets lifted when the source of the depression is dealt with. It is interesting to know that it takes a lot of pressure to please everybody, and this is not possible, so it triggers anxiety which in turn leads to depression. The key to depression is finding the right help.
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Post by Nazia Rahman on Jun 4, 2017 16:25:04 GMT -4
It is important to point out that depression can affect everyone, in any stratum. No one, no matter how richly or simply one lives, is immune. That said, there seems to be something about extreme success that puts one at higher risk for depression-perhaps because they feel so pressurized to please everyone and even though they are constantly surrounded by people they may feel lonely/detached from oneself. Just like how it is described in this article, these people often find it difficult to ask for help because of their highly celebrity status and often worry if they seek help they can lose the image. It is important to note priorities and values change with age and life events and the society should be more acceptable for the choices celebrities make for their well being.
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