Typically, during the Conference Finals the only basketball talk is about who won the game, who scored the most points and who's favored to win the series, but last week Kevin Love opened up about his continued battle with depression and anxiety. In an incredibly personal article for The Players' Tribune, Love explained how even though he has good days there are still tough days...and they can be debilitating.
"What people on the outside don’t always understand is that it takes all of your strength and willpower just to exist. Just to keep on going. Battling depression, battling anxiety, battling any mental health disorder … it’s all just so unbelievably exhausting."
Love has been an advocate for mental health awareness for several years. He first opened up about his experience with depression and anxiety in 2018 after having an panic attack in the middle of a game a few months prior. You can read his first submission to The Players' Tribune HERE.
Love's most recent account is a personal account of his battles, but it's also a message to anyone experiencing anxiety or depression that they are not alone. With everything 2020 has thrown at us, Love's words will certainly have an impact on people who read them.
"This is still hard to talk about, but I feel like it might resonate with people out there who are going through something right now. People who have lost their jobs (and their sense of purpose) during this crisis. People who … I don’t know … maybe just need to hear this...If it hadn’t been for a couple of my closest friends, I don’t know if I would be here today telling my story. And 99.9% of the people in my life probably don’t know how bad it got for me. But as hard as that might be for them to hear, I feel like I need to get that off my chest for the people out there who might be in a similar situation right now."
You can read Love's entire article HERE.**
Love's message is powerful and personal, with the hope that anybody else going through something similar knows they're not alone and that IT'S OK TO NOT BE OK.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
If you or anyone you know is struggling please know you are not alone.
Children's Hospital Colorado: Mental Health Professionals
Robbie's HOPE: Teens helping other teens
Colorado Crisis Services: Call, text, chat, walk-in
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : 1-800-273-8255
**There is some sensitive language in the article.