Mentally Tough: A group of Oregon athletes is trying to normalize mental health conversations in athletics through their campaign, “Duck The Stigma.

....During the healing process, Lilley was able to step back and re-evaluate her mental well-being. She realized all of the constant pressures of being a collegiate-athlete —  having to balance daily workouts and games with a demanding school load and a personal life — had been building up for months. All the negative thoughts had escalated into severe anxiety and depression.

“As bad as it sounds, it almost took me out of reality,” she said. “I think the worst point was that I questioned how much I wanted to be alive.....

....“Being a high-level athlete, you think you are immune to anxiety or depression,” Lilley said. “You don’t ever see yourself as that because you think of those things as being mentally weak. When in fact, they can happen to anybody.”....

   ...more

Bethany`s Notes: Great to see the students at Oregon reaching out and working on addressing the stigma of mental health. This is a good read and highlights a few different student athletes and their experiences.