OSU’s DJ Carton stepping away from b-ball for mental health
January 30th, 2020 at 9:36 PM ^
Good for him being strong enough and vulnerable enough to admit he needs to step away for a bit. Hope to see him back soon.
January 30th, 2020 at 9:38 PM ^
Very mature decision. The right thing to do if he's not in a good place. I think we all assume these athletes have it made because they're in a position we probably all wished we could've been in at one time or another. It's easy to forget the pressure that they face on top of dealing with life's usual struggles. I hope he gets the help and time he needs while he's away.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:51 PM ^
There was a player on my son's team who committed suicide last year. My son was a freshman at the time and didn't know the kid well -- he was a junior. It really shook my kid, and it was an opportunity for us to talk to him about mental illness in general and asking for help. I don't know the circumstances around the suicide but it's safe to say the kid had been suffering for a while. My heart still hurts for his parents and his friends at school, where it happened. It's a terrible loss.
January 31st, 2020 at 7:54 AM ^
There is a great book that might help your son relate to this experience. I teach and coach high school kids, and our leadership group is doing a book study on Pound the Stone by Joshua Medcalf. It is a great story about a high school athlete dealing with many challenges, and how he finds a mentor that teaches him many lessons along the way.
Send me an email and I will get a copy in the mail for him shortly, if you're interested. toddery20 at gmail dot com
January 31st, 2020 at 11:27 AM ^
Thank you for the offer. It sounds like a very worthwhile read. He's in college and his season just started, so with practice and schoolwork, he has little time for anything else. But I will file it away for the future. This weekend, his school is having an event about eliminating the stigma around mental illness. I'm especially pleased that they're addressing this with athletes, too, who have always been expected to play through injuries, or at least not speak up about them if they want to continue to have playing time.
January 30th, 2020 at 9:40 PM ^
In the era of Antonio Brown and Delonte West, I'm glad to see young athletes are taking mental health seriously. Seems like a great kid and I'm happy he's prioritizing his health. Hope he feels better soon
January 30th, 2020 at 9:44 PM ^
Applaud this young man. As a mental health professional, who specializes with young adult males, I can’t stress enough how many young males struggle with mental illness and feel stigmatized by it.
I hope for the day that we accept the reality of mental illness as an illness that can be treated; just like we do physical illness’.
January 30th, 2020 at 9:55 PM ^
It amazes me how many patients are okay with admitting that they have hypertension diabetes etc but go batshit when you try to suggest they get therapy/medications for mental health due to the stigma.
As someone who essentially had to lie my way through, rather than explaining my mental problems, to people through my medical education (yeah the stigma exists even with the professionals), it saddens me that this hurdle still feels as high as ever to overcome.
Kudos to Carton for taking the steps to address it early. Letting these things add up can truly cripple a person later.
January 31st, 2020 at 10:14 AM ^
YES! You said it and you're 1000% right. Mental illness is a disease the same way you might have kidney problems or a heart condition or whatever. We need to treat it like that.
Good for this young kid to take care of himself. And good for you for being a mental professional! We need more of you.
January 30th, 2020 at 9:53 PM ^
Attending OSU would depress me too.
January 30th, 2020 at 9:59 PM ^
Dont really get why a joke is needed when this guy is dealing with some obvious issues.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:01 PM ^
lighten up william
January 30th, 2020 at 10:09 PM ^
The kid almost came to Michigan. We all thought he was. If he’s been dealing with this for a couple of years, it has nothing to do with with where he plays. I just don’t think joking about that when a kid has some mental issues is the time nor place. Just my opinion
January 30th, 2020 at 10:25 PM ^
good point. then i definitely won't upset you and say that at least he has one fewer issue, not being a buckeye any more
February 1st, 2020 at 12:22 AM ^
To be clear, he is stepping away from b-ball, not school. If I understood that correctly
January 30th, 2020 at 10:26 PM ^
Really? People are gonna neg Billy's comments? They are perhaps the least negworthy comments ever.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:30 PM ^
Thanks, but I couldn’t care less about points on this site. As someone who has seen a few people deal with mental health issues, I just think it’s kindve ridiculous to make a joke encompassing it. They can neg my votes away.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:33 PM ^
Somebody poo pooing a little humor..is gonna get "negged". It was a light hearted jab at OSU, not something raunchy or evil spirited. Cheezuss guys.
January 31st, 2020 at 5:13 AM ^
Agree completely, except that OSU clearly is raunchy and evil spirited.
Hope Carton is OK. The transition to college, itself, is often the trigger for young people with depression. Add to an enormous amount of work and pressure associated with college ball and it is surprising this doesn’t happen more. It probably does, but the player just can’t come to terms and admit it.
January 31st, 2020 at 9:21 AM ^
Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.
Comedy that isn’t transgressive in some way isn’t funny. Laughing at tragedy is the whole point of comedy.
January 30th, 2020 at 9:55 PM ^
That's a huge bummer to get to that level and then have to walk away. I hope he gets better and can continue BBall if that's what he wants.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:01 PM ^
Best wishes
January 30th, 2020 at 10:07 PM ^
Smart and mature decision to slow it down and get help. I sincerely hope he gets the help he’s seeking and comes back strong if that’s what’s in his heart.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:08 PM ^
Rough deal. The Bucks probably have good options for him through their med school and that sort of thing. Hopefully, this will end up benefiting him in the big picture.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:13 PM ^
That’s sad to hear. Hope he finds a way to get the help he needs.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:28 PM ^
I hope he gets the help he needs. Mike Watkins at PSU also stepped away for mental health reason and came back. I hope that players doing this and being open about it helps remove the stigma that prevents others from getting help.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:45 PM ^
Very courageous of him, and I wish him a full recovery. I'm glad that he has a supportive family who can help him deal with this. The stigma is still there - can't wait for that to end.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
I hope it does, too, but I don't know that it ever will. Not fully, anyway. You will always have those parents/relatives/friends/coaches out there who tell you to "sack up," "be a man," "play through it," and "don't be a pussy." The "back in my day" types who always see mental health concerns as excuses or weakness.
They are just as problematic as the actual issue itself that the person is going through. It not moreso. Fortunately, I think the awareness surrounding mental health has skyrocketed over the last few years, and you will start seeing the stigma decrease considerably. I just don't think it will ever fully go away because this world will never be rid of assholes.
January 31st, 2020 at 9:23 PM ^
I do have hope for this generation, my son's. I don't think it's going to happen overnight, and it might not be a wholesale, all-at-once change but i do think hearing about guys like this Ohio State player or experiencing what my son's team did last year with the suicide of a teammate will affect change in them and how they deal with mental illness with their friends and ultimately their kids.
January 30th, 2020 at 10:57 PM ^
It's real progress that players feel like they can do this. Things are headed downward in some ways, but this is good.
January 31st, 2020 at 11:24 AM ^
That pretty much says it all.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:57 AM ^
Proud of him, and happy for the visibility. Your brain is an organ, too. You wouldn't hesitate to miss games to rehab a knee, a shoulder etc. This is no different.
January 31st, 2020 at 1:40 AM ^
Hopefully him talking about it publicly helps some other people out too. Good for him.
January 31st, 2020 at 5:38 AM ^
Good luck Mr. Carton. Takes tremendous courage to do what you are doing. Take care if yourself
January 31st, 2020 at 7:04 AM ^
The average person wouldn't be anywhere near this candid. Hopefully he gets the help he needs.
January 31st, 2020 at 10:12 AM ^
The average business atmosphere, social climate, and or community unit... isn't as understanding as a liberal university.
JUST SAYIN'
(Glad Universities give kids the change/opportunity to step away)
January 31st, 2020 at 8:40 AM ^
Best of luck to you DJ.
January 31st, 2020 at 9:27 AM ^
The downside of the higher level of youth sports is the incredible amount of pressure these kids face. I know people have their "pay the player" stance with college athletes, but look at what the high school kids have to deal with, especially in basketball. They fly cross country, play multiple games a day in AAU, and school takes a backseat. Then if they're good enough to be recruited, fans and recruiting analysts track their every movement and what used to be more of a private thing is now a reality show.
As a parent, I wish they would stop trying to make these kids grow up so fast and make decisions they are not ready for. Let the kids be kids.
January 31st, 2020 at 10:08 AM ^
Our entire education system is set up this way...
Back when I was in college I think the average change in major was 3-5x?!
We're asking kids to make decisions about their entire future when they're 17/18yrs. This is also why so many people are completely unhappy with their lives. Hell, my University didn't even have Entertainment Mgmt., at the time...only an MBA program, which is a far cry from running major sports venues, or art centers etc. (see Dave Brandon). Even though I went to a music conservatory and a major University at the same time... I still wasn't prepared when I got out.
THIS IS... one of the reasons that I think UofM is better than most schools; and even though I'm a Harbaugh critic, I like his approach to getting an education at M.
In summary, even though I think M is pretty good, I still think our entire system needs an overhaul. Euro kids for example, take a different path, and it's very common for those kids to save money and travel for a year or so after primary school before continuing their education. This is NOT acceptable in our society for the most part...
January 31st, 2020 at 9:57 AM ^
Hopefully we'll start to make larger strides in mental health awareness, and treating things like depression and bi-polar disorder in the near future.
Recently been reading up on CRSPR-Cas9, and gnome editing... surprised and somewhat excited that this could be an option for helping mental health.
January 31st, 2020 at 10:32 AM ^
Courageous and the right move. Best wishes to this young man and hope he gets the support he needs.?
January 31st, 2020 at 10:51 AM ^
What a great role model this kid is for standing up publically and speaking so honestly about his struggles. I'm very proud and impressed by this brave kid.
January 31st, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
Glad this kid recognizes what’s really important. Basketball will always be there
January 31st, 2020 at 12:36 PM ^
Took guts for him to make that decision. To be the star of the basketball team, on a team fighting to make the tournament, and you make the choice to step away for your own personal health. I applaud him for that. I'm not sure that a lot of people would've done the same.
He may have made the wrong decision in the school he committed to, but he's certainly got my respect. I hope this encourages other people who are truly suffering to come forward as well and be open with how they are feeling. Good on you, DJ, for taking care of your health first. Basketball will always be there.
January 31st, 2020 at 2:20 PM ^
Props to him for being aware of his own health and not being scared to talk about it. Mental health is not something someone should sweep under the rug.
January 31st, 2020 at 7:17 PM ^
That’s such a courageous public statement. God bless young man.
February 1st, 2020 at 9:18 PM ^
It's also worthwhile to consider the effect we, the fans, have on the mental health of these young athletes. They are put in a pressure cooker situation under a nationwide spotlight-- and due to social media people can say really awful things to and about them on a daily basis. I don't think I could handle that, and I'm a lot older and I'd like to think, due to teaching junior high for 25+ years, pretty tough.
Bringt dich dein Schwanz im Stich? Jetzt können Sie es vergessen. wir sind bereit, Ihnen ein ausgezeichnetes Medikament von der Website kamagra online kaufen anzubieten. Nur positives Feedback, versuchen Sie es selbst und beraten Sie sich mit anderen.