Inspirational discussion on Jonathan Drouin’s mental health

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It’s good not to be well. I know that. Jonathan Drouin knows it. Hope you know that too.

My name is Tony Ferrari. I’m your favorite bald draft analyst and contributor to The Hockey News. I’m the guy with the pink hoodie and daddy’s hat inside out. I am the father of two amazing boys. If you’ve gotten to know me personally, you know that I always make jokes and smile. If you take me at face value I’m a pretty happy guy.

However, we don’t always see what is beyond this face value. I have moderate to severe anxiety and a sleep disorder that prevents me from getting the recommended eight hours a night. I regularly work on four hours of sleep. I have anxiety attacks which paralyzed me in my place. I have taken medication at different times in my life to help me. It’s normal not to agree and Jonathan Drouin has spoken.

Drouin’s interviews with RDS and TVA were his first public statements about why he left the Montreal Canadiens last season for what, at the time, were considered personal reasons. In a season in which the Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, Drouin faced a much bigger battle. Drouin revealed that he suffered from anxiety and insomnia which affected his ability not only to play hockey, but also to lead a normal life.

Drouin didn’t know what he was dealing with at first. Like many people with mental health issues, there was a reluctance to seek help. “When I started to feel anxious, it was difficult to go to someone or ask for help. I was not able to recognize my problems or what was going on. Drouin explained RDS.

Recognizing that there is a problem is often considered the first step. With mental health stigmatized, recognition often ends up being the only step. Identifying and seeking help is often much more difficult.

“It really clicked last year. I went to get help, I went to surround myself with people so that now I know what’s going on, I can see the little moments that give me anxiety, so I’m much better equipped to handle this now than before. Drouin said of his journey over the past five months.

This click of which Drouin speaks is a pivotal moment. It is a time when you realize that you need to ask for help for yourself and for those who are dear to you. It’s often a time when you feel like you’re letting yourself down or letting others down, which makes it even harder to admit yourself.

I remember my “moment” like it was yesterday. I faced anxiety in my teenage years, but I “got over it”, but it had never been like this. I was dealing with the stresses of work and life, taking this home with me that night. I burnt dinner. I hit my toe. I spilled some milk. My day was going as badly as it could have been and I could feel my anxiety boiling inside me.

It was bedtime for the boys and it was solo daddy duty that night. As the boys climbed into their bunk beds, I tripped over one of their toys and ripped a shelf off the wall trying to catch myself. I broke toys and wall decorations when I fell. Sitting there on my back, I broke. I started to cry and sat there paralyzed and unable to move.

My oldest son, who was seven at the time, got off the top bunk and put his hands on either side of my face. He lifted my face from my knees and looked me in the eye and just said, in a moment that was wise beyond his years, “Daddy, I love you. It’s okay. I’m here. . ” Instantly, I calmed down.

I asked for help because I had reached a point that I never wanted to touch. My son, who is just a young child, had to step in and be there for me when no one else could. While I will always appreciate this moment for what he got me to do, it’s not a memory I would have written in his life. There were things from my past that led to the state I was in that day.

Jonathan Drouin hasn’t revealed his “moment” and he shouldn’t have to. Dealing with mental health is an incredibly personal matter. It takes courage to do what he did. Talking openly about his struggles couldn’t have been easy, especially in a sport where players are lauded for gladiator-like behavior, like playing through punctured lungs or broken bones.

We live in a society that has sometimes struggled, especially recently, to care for our fellow human beings. We like to talk for the sake of talking, but we rarely make the cut when it comes to mental health. We have companies running nationwide mental health campaigns that then lay off a large chunk of their workforce within days despite receiving government grants meant to support their workforce. artwork.

After months of often-born public commentary from sports fans full of silly tendencies assuming Drouin to be gentle or selfish, the Quebec native stood up and inspired his truth to speak. Why part of the audience felt the need to attack him for straying from a children’s game will never make sense. We need to be better as a society when it comes to mental health.

Drouin will be at training camp for the Montreal Canadiens and he will try to regain the form that has made him one of the most exciting young players in the game. He will do so with the tools he needs to help him. give the best of himself because he made the decision to take a step back from hockey and ask for help.

We don’t know if Jonathan’s season will go well this year. In all fairness, that’s a small factor in the bigger picture. Seeing Drouin in a better place mentally is what matters here. We need to understand that whenever we are faced with reality, mental health issues exist in all walks of life.

Drouin wants to be a voice to help de-stigmatize mental health. We should all do what we can to help in this regard as well. It’s good not to be well.

If you or someone you know needs help, please ask for help.

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