Is Depression & Anxiety The New Normal in Action Sports? An Athlete Speaks Out | Podcast 011
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ย. 2021
- Professional Athlete, Artist and Brand Owner, Graham Howes, Opens Up about His Mental Health Struggles and The Stigma the Industry has created making Athletes, feel trapped, ashamed or to competitive to speak out or ask for help.
When I was diagnosed with Major Depression in July 2019 my life changed forever...
It was one of the biggest turning points of my life. After years of confusion, anger, frustration and in a very, very dark place, I could finally make sense of why my mind had turned on me. A mind that had always been so powerful, so creative, so great had just stopped functioning. It’s incredibly scary when something we rely on, something that controls every aspect of your life, your health, relationships, skills, your wellbeing, all of a sudden fails you.
I fought it for so long, trying to figure it out until it fully exhausted my every being and left me crippled on a couch with the blinds shut for 2 weeks.
The Article continues with Graham's story and struggles as well as some scary facts and observations he has found on top elite athletes and extreme sports superstars we know and love. "I look at the Extreme Sports Industry and the role I have played in contributing to the Negative Stigma as an athlete, content curator and a brand owner. And look for solutions and what can be done to break down the walls and hopefully inspire other athletes, brands and people to take the right steps, and open pathways for people struggling from mental health issues to feel safe and less alone.
Read Full Article Here: dirtyhabits.com/blogs/homepag...
“As a male in my 30’s, suicide is the most likely thing to kill me…Read that again, shocking right? It is the leading cause of death to men in their 30’s”
“Andy Irons, dies alone in a hotel room after suffering silently with bipolar”. “Sunny Garcia (World Champion surfer) in a coma after a failed attemp at suicide after suffering from depression”, “XGames Gold Medalist, Dave Mirra dies of suspected suicide’ the list goes on and on. “
“I had my 1st panic attack while kiting on a long downwinder. It felt like someone had stuck their fist down my throat, I couldn’t breathe or get air into my lungs, my heart was pounding through my wetsuit.”
Read Full Article Here: dirtyhabits.com/blogs/homepag...
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Massive respect!!! Man you are such a great inspiration for people! You just brought more depth to your work and brand. We all have our own challenges in life and that takes a lot to do what you just did. If I was a sponsor, that would have just given me more reasons to partner with someone of your caliber! Keep up the awesome content 🤙 like in kitesurfing, it's not only highlights reels in life, but hey, what a fucking boring life that would be anyway 🍀 Enjoy the Highs, embrace the lows and keep making it a life worth living 💥
Big love, major respect ❤️
Great video Graham, super important! And it feels like action sports athletes are especially targeted to mental health issues, i guess due to loads of hits to the head and the constant dopamine release. But i’m sure we’ll find a way to fight it! We all love Dirty Habits and your content, your longer yt-vids is 100 times better than most instagram content today
Thanks so much 🙌🏼
Graham great to hear you speaking total Legend everyone has your back 🤙❤️💢
Thanks John
Hey mate, cheers to you for having the courage to speak about this in such an unscripted and raw way. Lifting the curtain on your own experience leads the way for the rest of us, and I have tremendous respect for sticking your neck out like that. I just broke my leg in a speed flying accident 3 days ago, and have dealt with my own depression in the past, so am on the recovery journey right now looking for resources and inspiration as I move forwards on the new path that's been laid out for me. As some of the athletes spoke about in Mental Health in Extreme Sports, I have a choice on what to focus on, the positives or the negatives; I'm doing my best to focus on all the doors that have opened since the injury, and the new opportunities it has brought.
Thank you for speaking your truth and being a part of this healing journey.
Thanks for the bravery in sharing such a personal story. I feel that I can relate as I have also been struggling with Depression and Anxiety the last few years. Better days ahead for us all if we work through it. It's good to know there are others out there fighting similar battles.
Hey Kent. You are not alone. Check out the Dirty Talk Club we started. We we discuss these topics more
facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
Respect for sharing this and opening up this subject! Much love❤️
I feel ya!! Mental health is so complicated. Figuring out why you feel depressed and what to do to be happy is key. I think for a lot of people in your situation (myself included) is realizing that true happiness comes from helping and giving back to others. By making this video you are doing that and I am sure you will touch and change people's lifes. Keep doing what your doing and the ride the wave of life. Much love ❤
Respect Graham, well done. I'm not a professional athlete but a guy that sits behind a desk the whole day. Hard lockdown was hard for me. Sleep, eat, work, repeat, on an extremely demanding job...Proper Groundhog Day stuff. I think Covid has "helped" with mental health awareness. My recommendation is to target the youngsters. They look up to you guys & just want to be like you guys. They need to know about the behind the scenes & real world challenges. Mental health has become a big subject matter. Best wishes!
First: thanks for sharing! Must be hard...
Second: yes pls, show the "behind the scenes" more. Show what it takes to go to all these awesome locations. Show what it takes to be a high performance athlete in whatever sport. That could help to take a little bit of the "glamour of traveling anywhere and do anything" and bring it a bit more to the reality.
I often think in making a video from the time I wake up on the weekend (5:30am) get bus or lift to the dropzone, gear check, training, safety, etc, until I finally do my first jump (10am ish). It's a long way...
Hey Elvis. For sure man, the efforts
Are sometimes hard, but sometimes it’s makes the honey at the end even sweater. Check out The Dirty Talk Club we just started to discuss these topics more. facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
Great video, your sponsors I'm sure would be proud of you.
I run the smallest brand on the planet. I do it to be connected to the world I love. Way past my prime but still shredding.
Depression is much more than a feeling. I can see you understand that fully.
My thoughts...
You must try find 1 or two people who know what's up even without words. So when the big wave holds you down you still have a life line back to the surface.
I don't have many answers, but can tell you at 52 and still riding the highs and lows. It's worth getting profesdional help to make it thru the bad.
It's hard to admit you might need help. But if we can do these adventure sports. We should be able to gain the courage to confront our wellbeing.
Good video man!
Stay strong!
Lee McClelland
Hey Lee, thanks for that. Yeah that’s why dirty habits started to create connections, good advise. We started The Dirty Talk Club to take this one step further, check it out
facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
We all love you brother respect for what you saying. Keep positive head up.
Having a mental illness is in a way, sometimes a superpower. Thank you for putting it like that
Much respect for opening up about this and sharing it! Thank you and stay strong!
Well done Graham! Love how raw, uncut and real this video was.
What a great initiative to start the conversation about this topic! Thank you!
i adore this video, thank you so much for sharing! couldn't agree more that it's about time for the stigma around mental health to be busted.. we all have our demons and carrying out this battle alone & in silence out of fear of seeming 'weak' doesn't help anyone. putting on a mask to be perceived as an unrealistically flawless version of ourselves is so normalized (probably even worse for professional athletes and people in the public eye). we stay silent because we think people can't relate to our struggles, when deep down all we wish for is someone brave enough to start the conversation and make us feel heard & understood. i'm grateful that you get to be this person for plenty of athletes and creators. it's time to stop equaling vulnerability to weakness. thanks for the authenticity, graham! x
Hey Maddi!!! Hope you doing good!! Yeah you nailed it. Crazy world we live in right now. But I see it all changing very soon. And that’s exciting. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻
Graham you are a legend!!! 🙌🏽
Respect Dude- Thx for sharing and being honest about the challenges. Love your work!
Hey Graham!
Sincerely thank you for being so brave and putting this video out here. I can say that I can relate to how you are feeling having been in that situation myself at some point in my life!
Talking about it to your relatives, friends or even the wider public is the bravest thing you can do and it is also the first step to healing (I know it sounds cliche, but I really felt it helped me a lot :)).
Me and a buddy of mine are running a small vlog/podcast series about kitesurfing in Estonia and I must say I have been thinking for some time to address some more serious topics (including mental health issues) in one of the episodes of the podcast. Like you said life is not always fun and games, we should talk about more stigmatized topics as well. I must say that your video for sure inspired me to pursue this idea further.
Thanks again for this video! Big respect!!
Best,
Karl
Hey Karl, thanks for that, amazing you or thinking and working towards this. It’s so important, check out The Dirty Talk Club we started, and come share on their.
facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
Great speach! Stay strong and never give up Bro!!!
Only really brave people are able to be vulnerable, so that is actually a strength not a weakness! All the best to you!
I really appreciate your courage. Much respect for sharing your thoughts!
thank you for this. whenever someone talks about their struggles, it levels all our plane fields and helps the rest of us feel less isolated in our own struggles. i've been where you are - still am sometimes - amidst my high demanding job and my even higher demanding self. for what it's worth, taking myself a little less seriously helped, as well as trying to remember what really makes me happy at the end of the day. and, yes, kindness rocks.
Thanks for the kind words, and stay strong
@@DirtyHabits always.
Congrats with this Graham, all the best! ❤
Thank you Graham for opening up, for bringing this real and very often silenced down problem. I've had ADD and depression since I was a child and I know how you feel and I know we have to be understood, understand each other and help each other. Had really bad few years mentally and I'm really not glad I'm not alone, but it's good to know that us who was this sh** are fighting and not being afraid to talk about it! Be strong, bruh! You are truly inspirational person and don't worry if some projects don't go as planned. They will one day (taking about the part where you worry about the views of your vids :) )
Yo Danas thanks for that and thanks for sharing. You def aren’t alone check out the Facebook group we started. The Dirty Talk club for men to share their stories facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
all respect bro!
We all thank you for sharing this experience. Real life!
This is certainly a very important step for your process and for many people. Once again, we thank you and hope that all people who identify with this experience, feel more comfortable and encouraged to deal with depression.
go ahead and fight hard. thanks!
Thanks guys 🙏🏻
Thanks for sharing, no one is immune to depression and anxiety!
Really liked your paragliding vlog! I vote more behind the scenes, seeing the lead up to an epic day is often the best part.
Thanks Jon. Will do more BTS for sure! Summer is coming so there will be a lot
Hey Graham! I’ve met you once awhile back and you were honestly such a nice, friendly, genuine person. I am such a huge fan of Dirty Habits - Thank you so much for sharing a glimpse into what you experience regarding your own mental health issues. It’s truly inspiring! Living an authentic life is so important and life does have seasons - there’s good and bad but what defines us is how we choose to keep going…thank you for sharing and appreciate the awesome content! 🙌🏽
Hi Kelly. Thanks for the kind words, appreciate it 🙏🏻
Much respect bro. I think you touching on something so important here.. real life.. vs what Social media see.
Your honesty, passion for sports and people is truly inspirational.
Keep up the good content and do what you do best, while loving motivating and inspiring the people around you.
Sometimes we need to ignore the likes, follows etc. on social media, coz if your content can just inspire, touch or make just one soul on this earth smile, you have already made a difference in the world and i believe that will bring an abundance of joy and happiness to all.
You are a great Athlete bro, and the mental health side of things is something many are afraid to speak up on, so well-done for speaking up coz this can definitely help other athletes open up about it.
Looking forward to more of your epic content and hope you can get some interviews with some athletes willing to share their story on this topic.
Peace out.
Yo Quinton thanks for that man appreciate it
Much respect for opening yourself up! Taboo most of the time let people feel afraid to talk when is actually the best thing to do! You just made a first huge step 👏🏼💪🏼🤟🏼
Thank you bru 🤙
awesome man! 👏
Thank you for sharing this
You yourself and dirty habits have inspired me and lot others in so many ways
Much respect 👏💯
Thanks bru, we will continue to do our best! Thanks for being part of the journey
Very impressed by this video brother. I feel showing vulnerability is true strength. Also, having "no pb" is tricky as you are left with guilt. Somehow, it is more straight forward to solve external problems.
Thank you for showing the way 💛
Mad respect Bro ❤️
Brave of you to open up! I can relate to you, big thanks for sharing
Thanks Niek. We just started The Dirty Talk Club on Facebook. Check it out
facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
Much love Graham ❤️
Much love brother!
Let's go ma man.
Respect dude! I had a hard time with kiting when i got my first sponsor. My ambitions were way higher than my skills and i got so stressed when my progression didn't align with the goals i set. I got to the point where i rarely felt joy riding and a bit of an identity crisis started. Because who was I without kiting? I ended my sponsorship mainly for this reason and then i had a serious talk with myself about what kiting is to me and where i see myself. Fast forward to now i am now sponsored on the board front and i do not feel the pressure anymore and i enjoy my sessions again like i just learned kiting :D
Hey Jeppe. Thanks for sharing that, yeah it’s tough navigating on the professional sports world, and your own expectations. And respect for putting your wellbeing 1st. It’s not easy. We started the Dirty Talk Club for athletes to discuss this kind of stuff. Check it out
facebook.com/groups/1565357013635575/
Great video
Good for you Graham, top man for sharing this. I personally know a top racing car driver and im telling you now his real life it definitely not what his fans and people following him on instagram see.
It’s crazy how many top athletes deal with this and know one has any idea. I’m excited for that to change
I for one enjoy all the Dirty Habits vids! Keep going!
Thanks bru. There’s some good stuff coming
So brave you are💪🏽... Sending you massive spiritual power🤗. You will manage to get along with it, because you have everything you need. Get yourself some professional help and it will get better, but it takes time. Be patient and belive that life here on earth is worth it to life...
Yeah man spot on!
Ya bru. Respect. You're putting in the appropriate action required to grow. I guess its supposed to be hard. The easy shit or suppressing it just aint where its at. Its not worth it. You are strong. Embrace the affliction bru. You're not like the masses. As long as you can look yourself in the mirror then the approval of others really means nothing
You’re the wisest person I know. So proud of you Graham
whatever we are, whatever we do... we have the same limits ... head up
You're the man Graham. Takes real strength to share
But also, it's not weakness not to! Whatever works to keep going!
But also, it's not weakness not to! Whatever works to keep going!
Thanks 🙏🏻
You're a great kitesurfer, a very nice man, you'll be more stronger of your problems. 💪💪💪
Thanks bru
Bro look up DPDR, it’s something I suffer with and is super hard to deal with. Please look it up and let me know if you can relate 🙌🏼
Brave bro 😎
It’s the old normal. Negative emotional states have always been part of the spectrum of normal human experience. We just make a bigger deal about it these days, with people basing their personalities and identity around undiagnosed mental health conditions.
Besides you're carrying a message. This is greater than just you or me.
This comment hit hard! thank you for reminding me! cheers Graham
Awesome share brother, we are all in this together. On behalf of all the kite crew in Western Australia, one love! Our spirits need these conversations and we all do have our good and bad days no matter how successful. Be kind to everyone you interact with daily, or have the chance of interacting with. You never know their struggle. To hold space for a friend or a stranger. Even just a conversation can change someone’s day… Someone’s life!
Respect Brah.
👊👊
Graham, stick with this. You are onto something. However, you need to separate your overall goals with your methods. Your idea of dirty habits with extreme sports is brilliant. People need to come into this with baby steps and small bites. My suggestion is that you act as an "interviewer" and go out and seek the wisdom from people who are concise and clear because they have written books on this stuff. Then you can "be a bridge" between the wisdom and X-sports.
Thanks James, I like the sound of that idea. 🙏🏻
So when I just saw my psychiatrist lately like 3 weeks ago who I would think is nuts if I didn't see all the plaques on the wall...lol...he still is nuts....well anyways...I said, are you sure to him. Hasn't anything changed like ever...he said, nope still the same definitely Major Depression and now Major Anxiety. I said Anxiety Major too? I thought it was Major and Minor now both Major. I said are you sure. And he is so funny he makes all these faces like a cartoon character. He said yes Major and Major I'm sure. I said, Geez! So I have for many many many years. The thing is...I always tell people you see you don't think I have depression because I always seem happy and am laughing, but I struggle every single day. But I have no stigma because I know it is a disease. It's a disease of your body/mind not enough of this mixing with that and clashing with the other...like any other disease that does something else to a different part of your body-any disease you can't choose to have or not get a disease. And we can't help it. There is medicine I try to help like with this disease and sometimes it works or sometimes it doesn't, sometimes I want to be okay and try without it or sometimes I'm still lucky to be alive...but we got this...no stigma. I'm proud of all I can do and I know I have this disease and I have help and love....and I am so very proud of you as a friend and professional athlete and business owner and all around awesome person (to my best friend and son) to help us all in your own way to have a happier and healthier day. It's a time you will find the best people in your life. The ones you want in your life. Thanks Graham it's f----ing awesome, not that you suffer because I honestly understand and it sucks...oh shit now I'm crying... and it's been tough for my family, it's not always easy... but were gonna make it. Stronger....And the battery thing....and hour ....is hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was laughing so hare!
Love you Dani ♥️
King Solomon the wisest , richest man who ever lived, tried everything, but could not get rid of that empty feeling....that's because we are not only flesh but also spirit and only God can fill that void.....when are you going to realize that? Its absolute truth....He has set eternity in our hearts ....and therefore no material thing will ever be able to fill that void..Gods calling you bro...when you gonna start to listen ?