By Diane Herbst
Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history with 28 medals, has acknowledged that after the 2012 games, his longtime depression was so overwhelming he thought about killing himself.
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In the documentary “The Weight of Gold,” Phelps presents a stark picture of the mental wear and tear Olympians endure.
More athletes are reporting mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, psychiatric conditions and eating disorders.
Suicide is more common among older Americans than any other age group. The statistics are daunting. While people 65 and older account for 12 percent of the population, they represent 16 percent to 25 percent of the suicides. Four out of five suicides in older adults are men.
Depression and suicidal ideation are more likely among people with disabilities due to factors like abuse, isolation, and stressors related to poverty, among others.
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Experts and researchers use terms like “epidemic” and “crisis” to characterize the mental health challenges currently facing American college students. Statistics back up these claims.
Every forty seconds, someone commits suicide. In the United States, it is the tenth most common cause of death in people over ten years of age, far more common than death by homicide or aneurysm or aids.
The pattern of highly accomplished and successful people committing suicide is transfixing. It assures the rest of us that a life of accolades is not all that it’s cracked up to be and that achieving more will not make us happier.
Recent tragedies reveal the silent stigma in sports.
The notion of using ketamine as an anti-depressant is gathering steam on the back of enlightening research that has shown us how it can suppress the brain’s “anti-reward” center, mend broken neural circuits and interact with serotonin receptors to boost the release of dopamine.
Suicide is a major threat to public health. In recent years, suicide rates have actually worsened in the US, and tragically, it's a phenomenon that's accelerating even among children.