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Should Mental Health Be Taken More

Seriously?
In recent years, there has been many heated discussions about mental health and how it

affects people. It has become very controversial in sports, with many examples like Simone

Biles, Calvin Ridley, etc. who have sat out of games/matches due to mental health. Some

believe that these players are quitting on their team, while others support them for taking a

stand for their mental health. This essay will try to explore a possible solution that will make

everyone happy, where people are still productive, but also are not suffering from mental

illnesses.

At some local school districts in North Carolina, they have adopted Mental Health days.

Students and parents have overwhelmingly supported this measure, as many say it is a good

way for a younger kid to relax the brain and take a day away from school. Especially with

COVID, where many students are struggling with different versions of learning and hours, thai is

great to spend time focusing on mental health.

On the other hand, many people were very upset with Simone Biles for “quitting” at the

2020 Tokyo Olympics. People claimed that she was using Mental Health as an excuse for a

poor showing in her events. Also, many claimed that she took an opportunity away from other

athletes who could have gone to the olympics instead. A quick note that should be remembered

is these articles do have certain beliefs on this topic, so you have to take them all with a grain of

salt.

AJ Brown, one of the best Wide Recievers in the game, recently took to Instagram to

explain his story on depression and almost committing suicide. Last year, he had dealt with

many nagging injuries and still put up great numbers. In the offseason, he had knee surgery to
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fix both of his knees, which were both banged up. He credited many people and god for talking

to him, which prevented him from continuing with his plans for suicide.

Many people often forget that entertainers and athletes are humans who have emotions.

While you cannot always point to mental health as an excuse for performance, it still is a

plausible reason. A big stigma that comes to mental health is that you are weak and it is not

important. People who are suffering from mental illnesses should seek help and know they feel

valued

A possible way for this issue to be resolved is for people to talk to one another and

understand where people are coming from. This world is a cruel place and a lot of hardship

goes on with people. Taking time to let people talk and explain how they feel will be very

beneficial for humanity. Taking time away from things can be very helpful in allowing people to

destress.

Boclair, David. “A.J. Brown Contemplated Suicide during 2020 Season.” Sports Illustrated
Tennessee Titans News, Analysis and More, Sports Illustrated Tennessee Titans News,
Analysis and More, 13 Nov. 2021,
https://www.si.com/nfl/titans/news/tennessee-titans-nfl-aj-brown-suicide-depression.

Constantine, Tim. “Simone Biles Is No Hero. She Is a Quitter.” The Washington Times, The
Washington Times, 31 July 2021,
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jul/31/simone-biles-no-hero-she-quitter/.

Dreher, Arielle. “'It Really Does Get Better': One Teen's Journey Shows the Hardship and Hope
of Finding Mental Health Treatment for Youth in Spokane County.” Spokesman.com, The
Spokesman-Review, 13 Nov. 2021,
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/nov/14/it-really-does-get-better-one-teens-journey-sh
ows-/.

Gowton, Brandon Lee. “How to Think about Mental Health (and Athletes).” Bleeding Green
Nation, Bleeding Green Nation, 14 Nov. 2021,
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https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2021/11/14/22778546/how-to-think-about-mental-health-a
nd-athletes-lane-johnson-eagles-ben-simmons-philadelphia-nfl-nba.

Rodreigeuz, Gloria. “Local Districts Give Students a Mental Health Day off from School.” ABC11
Raleigh-Durham, WTVD-TV, 11 Nov. 2021,
https://abc11.com/child-mental-health-school-districts-wake-county-wcpss/11225169/.