Ask 4 Help in May during Mental Health Awareness Month

May is designated as Mental Health Awareness Month.  It’s been observed in the United States since 1949. The month is observed with media, local events, and film screenings. Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in ’49 and was started by the Mental Health America organization.

In 2020 Dak Prescott opened up and shared some details about his battle with isolation during the tragic loss of his brother Jace due to suicide. Andrew Luck in ’19 retiring from the Indianapolis Colts reverberated through the NFL community, spawning an array of opinions on Luck’s decision that ranged from compassion to downright nasty.

How can athletes who make millions of dollars protect their own mental health from the game? They must speak up, and Ask 4 Help. Athletes are not exempt from life challenges. Matter of fact nobody is. Especially military veterans who served this country. The stigma inside among the ranks continues to be that if you “Ask 4 Help” it appears as weak on your part.

I shared my story Bullet Proof on Amazon in January ’20 just before the pandemic kicked off. After hearing Prescott share his own challenges it was confirmation that asking for help begins the healing journey altogether. It does not stop there, however. It requires work after the fact to apply coping mechanisms you learn to manage your mental health game plan moving forward.

Professional Athletes and Veterans

Both athletes and veterans wear uniforms. One lives under the watchful eye of the public constantly while the other silently stands watch at night in the far reaches of the globe. Protecting freedom and democracy around the world.  Even though each of their mission differs they both face similar challenges in the mental health game of life.

After 23 years of faithful Naval service getting acclimated back into society was most challenging for me along my journey. I had to make a decision to either JUMP, or walk through the VA doors and Ask 4 help in the summer of ’19. Had I chosen the first I would not be here typing this today. Asking for help is a sign of strength. Sixty-nine percent of veterans who commit suicide do it with a firearm. BANG!

Thanks to Luck’s pivot to retire sighting mental health that encouraged me to ask 4 help. After Prescott came out and shared his story it further confirmed my mission to reach other veterans with my own. Not asking for help among the ranks of the military can be deadly. To both your career and your life. The suicide of Jace, coupled with the coronavirus pandemic, caused Dak to go through the early stages of depression. Dak also was mocked publicly by Skip Bayless.

Word of Luck’s decision leaked and was reported during a Colts preseason game, and some fans at Lucas Oil Stadium booed the injured Luck as he walked off the field in street clothes. Luck later acknowledged that he heard the booing and that he was hurt by it. In the last year, there have been 10 deaths, 4 by suicide on board the USS George Washington. AKA Cell Block CVN-73.

Ask 4 Help during Mental Health Awareness Month in conclusion

The NFL just released its schedule this month. Rookies are participating in mini-camps and we begin organized team activities soon. Leading up to mandatory minicamp in mid-June.  Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. It was important for me to share this with you today. Many veterans like Prescott get caught in this rabbit hole of isolation when dealing with depression. It usually does not end well.

Isolation is the enemy of mental health and asking for help is now a sign of strength. Unfortunately, the mental health stigma still remains, however. It takes courage to ask 4 help. Thanks to Luck in ’19 and Prescott in ’20 sharing their stories to inspire and educate others that it’s ok to ask for help. I encourage you to seek help.

Do you or someone you know, struggle with mental health? Be sure to share this story with them. If only one reader consumes this content and proceeds to “Ask 4 Help” then our collective mission here today is complete. The first step is asking for help, and secondly having the courage to share your story, in addition, could also help others.

I wonder what was shared between that Luck and Prescott exchange in the photo above (credit Dallas Morning News). Could it have been an audible call between the two? To lead the mental health awareness month story for the NFL? To finally kill the stigma of it not being ok to ask 4 help? Well, If not, that was my mission with you here today. Please help keep the lights on here for others here below today.

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If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.