>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK. IT'S OFTEN AN A DISEASE THAT
OFTEN AFFECTS WOMEN BUT 10
MILLION MEN WILL ALSO BE
AFFECTED BY AN EATING DISORDER
IN SOME POINT OF THEIR LIVES
AND A FORMER SEAHAWKS PLAYER
JOINS US NOW TO TALK ABOUT HIS
OWN EXPERIENCE AND HOW BOTH
MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES
STRUGGLE WITH THIS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY, I THINK THERE'S A
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EATING
DISORDERS AND MENTAL HEALTH.
THE NUMBER ONE DRIVER
ESPECIALLY WITH BEING A FORMER
BUFF, THE LOSS OF IDENTITY IS A
BIG CRISIS AND WHEN YOU HAVE
GAME DAY AND ALL OF THIS FAME
THAT COMES ASSOCIATED WITH
SPORTS, EATING DISORDERS BECAME
MY ADVICE AND HOW TO DEAL WITH
THAT PRESSURE.
THAT PRESSURE. ATHLETES IN GENERAL, IT DOES
NOT MATTER WHAT SPORT BUT IT'S
VERY MUCH SIGNAL TIES TO WOMEN
ATHLETES AND WOMEN IN GENERAL
AND MOST THE TIME AND
PERFORMANCE SPORTS LIKE
FOOTBALL, THOSE TRIGGERS SEEM
TO BE THE NORM.
IT'S A LOT BIGGER OF AN ISSUE
THAT MOST MALES CAN ASSOCIATE
WITH.
WITH.
WITH. >>
WITH. >> THAT IS HARD BECAUSE IT IS
ALREADY HARD ENOUGH TO GET MEN
TO OPEN UP AND TALK ABOUT
CERTAIN THINGS AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE DO ASSOCIATE EATING
DISORDERS WITH WANTING TO BE
THIN OR SKINNY WHEN IT'S
REALLY ABOUT CONTROL AND HAVING
TO CONTROL ANY PART OF YOUR
LIFE THAT YOU CAN.
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >>
RIGHT? >> NO QUESTION.
YOU TRY AS A MALE TO DO THAT
AND BE IN CONTROL AND THAT IS
THE HARD PART, TRYING TO RAISE
AWARENESS AND CHANGE THE STIGMA
BEHIND IT.
BEHIND IT. >> WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE
STIGMA.
STIGMA.
STIGMA. IT'S RIDICULOUS.
IT'S RIDICULOUS. EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL
COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
IT'S NOT SCARY BUT IT IS SCARY
TO TALK ABOUT.
WHERE CAN YOUNG ATHLETES GO TO
GET HELP?
GET HELP?
GET HELP? >> I DO A LOT OF WORK WITH ERC
IN THE RECOVERY CENTER AND
THERE'S A BIG PUSH IN SEATTLE
AND JUST REACHING OUT TO
ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO
FIND OUT.
FIND OUT.
FIND OUT. I AM NOT A CLINICIAN BUT I KNOW
MY OWN EXPERIENCE.
THERE IS A TON OF HELP AND
GREAT SOUNDING BOARDS TO FIND
THAT WERE TO GO.
>> GOOD FOR YOU FOR USING THE
INCREDIBLE PLATFORM THAT YOU
HAVE TO SHARE THIS.
THIS IS AWESOME.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU ARE NOT A
CLINICIAN BUT CAN YOU GIVE US
SOME SIGNS THAT ANYONE SHOULD
BE WORRIED ABOUT LIKE SIBLINGS
OR PARENTS AND WHAT THEY CAN
LOOK FOR.
LOOK FOR.
LOOK FOR. >> YES, MY LIFE WAS DICTATED
BY FOOD AND THAT WAS MY
CONCERN, TRYING TO FIND MYSELF
AFTER FOOTBALL WHEN I WOULD
WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND THE
NUMBER ONE THING I THOUGHT
ABOUT WAS WHAT I WAS GOING TO
EAT FOR DINNER AND HOW THAT
WOULD AFFECT THE REST OF MY
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. GOOD
DAY. GOOD VERSUS BAD AND IT BECOMES
A BIG ISSUE.
YOU LIVE IN THIS MENTAL GAME
GOING BACK AND FORTH.
THAT WAS MY NUMBER ONE THING
WHEN I REACHED A POINT OF
ISOLATION AND FOOD WAS REALLY
DICTATING MY LIFE.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE THAT FIND
THEMSELVES IN THAT SITUATION,
YOU SHOULD REACH OUT.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED
ABOUT MACROS THAT KIND OF
STUFF.
STUFF.
STUFF. >>
STUFF. >> WHO HELPED YOU?
>> I ACTUALLY FOUND OUT ABOUT
IT THROUGH A PODCAST.
THAT WAS PRETTY RARE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE
FOUND THE NECESSARY RESOURCES
TO REACH OUT HAD I NOT BEEN
LISTENING TO THAT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
SHARING.