NFL Off-Season Thread

[JDailey23]

Have you ever heard him speak? He is not a moron. He's quite intelligent and thoughtful. He wouldn't have near the support from fans he's had if he was actually a moron. He's a guy you want to see succeed because he actually is a good person who has mental health issues.

I don't know if he's seeking the help he needs or not it, but as someone experienced in dealing with other people's addictions and mental illnesses, I do know that punishing him by taking football away was never the correct answer and did him no favors.

It makes me sad that people take the misguided stances they do and are so closed minded that they never question them. It makes me sadder that people can see other people as less than and have no empathy for them.



These types of mindsets are exactly why the country is in such disrepair. I'll send you both thoughts and prayers that you learn to feel empathy.

Your last comment is cute. My brother in law dealt with depression and was bi-polar. He was with my sister for 15 years and we were very close and hung out all the time.
I saw his problems. I saw his good days and bad days. I knew his meds that he was suppose to take, but all he wanted to do was drink and smoke pot. He lost job after job because of it.
He knew he was a fuck up, but he didn’t care. Eventually my sister wasn’t able to handle his idiotic thought process and left him. He eventually hung himself. His family blamed my sister, I blamed his family and himself for blaming his issues on things out of his control, but when he was on his meds consistently, he was fine. He just chose not to and then had a “mental health”‘excuse.
It’s weak and bullshit. Don’t tell me all his problems are a mental thing, no, it’s not.

 

[Sebastian]

I am not looking through this tonight, but I figure there is going to be some sterilization of this thread.

Better not be any personal attacks.

 

[AZ_]

Don’t tell me all his problems are a mental thing, no, it’s not.

They are.

You can kick and scream about them getting a longer leash and just claim that it’s about toughness or work ethic, but it all stems from the same core issue they’re often incapable of solving.

Mental illness is only exacerbated by a society that refuses to feel empathy, and only knows how to hit people when they’re down.

 

[The Oi]

It’s largely a “mental thing,” and a societal thing as well. But there’s a responsibility thing there as well.

For those who are capable of managing themselves...once you know you have a mental illness, it is your responsibility to take control of the situation. Nobody else’s. For the sake of yourself and those around you, especially if there is a spouse and/or kids involved.

While I can’t say I agree with all of @JDailey23 ‘s points, there is a main point that I do:

When someone knows that they have a mental illness, there are no days off from dealing with it.

While it would be nice if people around those with mental illness would be nice and helpful all the time, they typically aren’t. Not everyone understands or cares about these things or should be expected to.

Which is why it is tremendously important to own the illness, learn to work around/with it and live life as best as one can.

Bipolar people not taking meds, drinking and making other irresponsible decisions is to be expected. But it’s ultimately their responsibility to make the right decision for themselves. The same goes for other mental illnesses, so long as other people understand that they have them. And ffs...that’s a sad story that I’m sorry to hear.

Once you know what’s in your head, you gotta own that shit and fight. If you don’t, you’re fuckin up for yourself and anyone that cares.

 

[The Oi]

To take it a step further...we’re all at least a little mentally ill anyways. I don’t mean that in an edgy “we’re all fucked up” type of way. I mean that in a, “if I talked to 100 people, I’m sure there’s some kind of disorder or aberrant behavior going on in every one of them that they’re either trying to hide, don’t yet understand or are aware of and are honest about,” type of way.

So it would certainly be NICE to be empathetic to others who you know for CERTAIN have a mental illness, bc the chances are high that you have something rattling around up there too that keeps you up at night.

 

[AZ_]

It’s largely a “mental thing,” and a societal thing as well. But there’s a responsibility thing there as well.

For those who are capable of managing themselves...once you know you have a mental illness, it is your responsibility to take control of the situation. Nobody else’s. For the sake of yourself and those around you, especially if there is a spouse and/or kids involved.

While I can’t say I agree with all of @JDailey23 ‘s points, there is a main point that I do:

When someone knows that they have a mental illness, there are no days off from dealing with it.

While it would be nice if people around those with mental illness would be nice and helpful all the time, they typically aren’t. Not everyone understands or cares about these things or should be expected to.

Which is why it is tremendously important to own the illness, learn to work around/with it and live life as best as one can.

Bipolar people not taking meds, drinking and making other irresponsible decisions is to be expected. But it’s ultimately their responsibility to make the right decision for themselves. The same goes for other mental illnesses, so long as other people understand that they have them. And ffs...that’s a sad story that I’m sorry to hear.

Once you know what’s in your head, you gotta own that shit and fight. If you don’t, you’re fuckin up for yourself and anyone that cares.

I don’t have a ton of disagreement here, but the broader point is that we shouldn’t further be criminalizing them by outlawing substances like marijuana, which help treat mental illness.

Instead, we force them to face the consequences of actions which shouldn’t require them.

Somehow, so many continue to dig their heels on this strategy, which we know doesn’t work, which we know historically targets the mentally ill.

There is nothing good that seems to come out of this strategy.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

I don’t have a ton of disagreement here, but the broader point is that we shouldn’t further be criminalizing them by outlawing substances like marijuana, which help treat mental illness.

Perhaps, but there are other, effective ways to treat mental illnesses. And certainly there are better ways of going about it other than self dosing with street product.

I largely agree with your overall point, but he has other resources available to him to help treat mental illness.

 

[AZ_]

Perhaps, but there are other, effective ways to treat mental illnesses. And certainly there are better ways of going about it other than self dosing with street product.

I largely agree with your overall point, but he has other resources available to him to help treat mental illness.

Self dosing with street product is the effect of criminalization and demonization.

Generations worth.

I agree with you though, those resources should all be available to him and to others.

Instead, we do quite the opposite.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Self dosing with street product is the effect of criminalization and demonization.

Generations worth.

I agree with you though, those resources should all be available to him and to others.

Instead, we do quite the opposite.

I would imagine that Gordon had the access due to NFL Medical, but maybe I'm wrong? I think teams should have their own psychological/ psychiatrics departments to help these players rather than telling them to seek their own help.

 

[AZ_]

I would imagine that Gordon had the access due to NFL Medical, but maybe I'm wrong? I think teams should have their own psychological/ psychiatrics departments to help these players rather than telling them to seek their own help.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what Gordon did at some point?

I believe Gordon stepped away at least once to voluntarily seek treatment for his issues and counseling.

Not sure if that was though the NFL, our outside of that funnel.

 

[The Oi]

I don’t have a ton of disagreement here, but the broader point is that we shouldn’t further be criminalizing them by outlawing substances like marijuana, which help treat mental illness.

Instead, we force them to face the consequences of actions which shouldn’t require them.

Somehow, so many continue to dig their heels on this strategy, which we know doesn’t work, which we know historically targets the mentally ill.

There is nothing good that seems to come out of this strategy.

Mmj can be great for mental illness among a variety of other things.

Unfortunately, we are facing generations worth of people who have been strategically programmed to believe it is dangerous (it likely is a terrible idea for younger people) and causes everyone to be couch-dwelling losers (it definitely doesn’t).

Like with anything, there has to be some level of patience and provision of info. Who the fuck knows that leafly exists or about how well engineered these strains are now until they know? They don’t. You gotta tell them. Or don’t if they don’t care or are hostile about the info for whatever reason.

People can’t know things until they’re given the information.

I understand what you mean that some people are gonna dig in regardless, but plenty of people are receptive to the information. ESPECIALLY now that we know how shitty opioids are.

 

[JDailey23]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what Gordon did at some point?

I believe Gordon stepped away at least once to voluntarily seek treatment for his issues and counseling.

Not sure if that was though the NFL, our outside of that funnel.

He stepped away because he could get reinstated by the league. There’s a ton of different options he could have taken to help him that wasn’t on the banned list. Drinking and smoking pot was just an option he chose to do and he was specifically told, many times, not to.
There’s a very simple reason as to why it’s not fully legal or given a free pass in the NFL.
Don’t fall for his crap and bs mental illness crap, it’s a coverup. He’s just a loser, addict like my brother was.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

He stepped away because he could get reinstated by the league. There’s a ton of different options he could have taken to help him that wasn’t on the banned list. Drinking and smoking pot was just an option he chose to do and he was specifically told, many times, not to.
There’s a very simple reason as to why it’s not fully legal or given a free pass in the NFL.
Don’t fall for his crap and bs mental illness crap, it’s a coverup. He’s just a loser, addict like my brother was.

Lots of assumptions and poor characterizations here. You have no idea what he was, and an addict isn't a loser but someone who needs mental help.

 

[JDailey23]

Lots of assumptions and poor characterizations here. You have no idea what he was, and an addict isn't a loser but someone who needs mental help.

Sure he is. Had a daughter that he denied for almost 18 months. Has little contact with her.
That’s a loser

 

[The Oi]

Without additional information, I would tend to agree that someone denying a daughter is a “loser.” I hate that shit.

I wouldn’t agree that someone is a loser simply by virtue of being an addict. Lot goes into addiction, including life circumstances and genes. But it is something an addict must take responsibility for, or they will lose everything.