New England Patriots` Josh Gordon to take `mental health break.` Here`s why he`s not the only elite athlete to need one.

.....“I take my mental health very seriously at this point to ensure I remain able to perform at the highest level,” he wrote in the Twitter post. “I have recently felt like I could have a better grasp on things mentally. With that said, I will be stepping away from the football field for a bit to focus on my mental health.” Gordon then thanked Patriots head coach Bill Belichik, team owner Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization.....

....“It’s not all glitz and glamour,” Stephen Graef, PhD, a sports psychologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “You’re under a microscope, and the pressure associated with that can get to people.” If someone is abusing substances, that can be hard on their bodies, which can contribute to ongoing stress, he says, “and that can lead to anxiety and depression.”

These athletes can also face regular concerns about being cut from the team or having their playing time diminished, even if they’re stars. “That’s incredibly stressful,” Brown says....