By Sharing Her Story, Maryland’s Nikki Sliwak Aims To Advance Mental Health Conversation

.....In her story for Athlete Humanity, Sliwak wrote that she could trace her struggles back to the death of her father, who worked at the World Trade Center and was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Sliwak didn’t start to process her father’s death until she was a teenager and developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.

In high school, Sliwak developed an eating disorder, which she was able to work through before she arrived at Maryland. College brought a new set of challenges. In a new environment, she struggled with depression and anxiety. She scrutinized every little thing she did during the day, had panic attacks and sometimes even made herself vomit just to feel like she was in control.

“No one really knew until it hit my lowest point,” Sliwak said. “I didn’t want people to perceive me in a different way because the words depression and anxiety are a trigger for most people. So I didn’t want people to look at me in a different way.”.....

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Bethany`s Notes: Sometimes athletes hold something so close for years that it takes time and a lot of patience for them to process the past. This story is a great example of that and the challenges she faced.