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If anyone knows the importance of mental health, it’s Jaylen Brown.
In November, Brown honored the passing of his best friend with a 22 point performance against the Golden State Warriors.
“His number was 22 and he was 22 years old. It was great for me to be able to score 22 points like last time. It was kinda deja vu,” Brown said after the game, referencing the 22 points he scored two days after Trevin Steede’s suicide in 2017.
So when Brown took his seat in front of the Zoom call monitor after beating the Orlando Magic, he not only continued his message of social justice. He added the cause of mental health and awareness.
“I definitely want to bring awareness to mental health, anxiety, and forms of depression, at times like this in places like this, in the bubble,” Brown said. “I actually probably struggle with that, and don’t feel confident enough to be speaking openly about it so being able to talk to somebody… it’s conversations that need to be had.”
Proper mental health requires balance, and balance is not something readily available in this bubble format. Brown’s openness about struggling in this situation brings an important conversation to the forefront because there is a general misconception that people “should” be happy in certain situations.
On the surface, Jaylen Brown is young and rich, playing a kid’s game and creating generational wealth because of it. What does he have to be anxious about?
But our brains don’t care about such things, and it’s been shown that the struggle with anxiety and depression can be heightened when affected people are conflicted about their feelings and situation.
“Being here in this bubble, people might not speak on it but it is a challenge,” Brown said. “Lot of time, lot of guys when they get done playing basketball, they want to be able to leave and forget about basketball for a little bit. It’s impossible here.”
It’s also different for young Black men like Brown who are not only tasked with carrying the hopes of his local basketball fans, but also the message of social justice. Brown has openly discussed the pressures of being a professional athlete in Boston, and now he’s not only wearing “Celtics” across his chest, but “Liberation” on his back.
For young Black men and women, boys and girls, the pressures of society can be overwhelming. They are taught to be strong in the face of so many challenges they face in daily life, challenges those of us with any amount of privilege can’t fathom.
“It’s very tough. African American people are very strong people,” Brown said. “We survived slavery, we survived separate but equal, Jim Crow and all in between. A lot of African American males in particular feel like they have to portray masculinity and toughness. In these environments sometimes that leads to violence just because we feel we have to display this form of toughness all the time.”
We are just scratching the surface of full acceptance of mental illness and proper mental health. It affects all colors, religions, and genders, but systemic oppression exacerbates the problem. Suicides among young Black males age 5-to-12 are higher than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the most recent national statistics. Suicides among Black teenagers are up 50-60%.
Brown’s message is an important one not just for those in the Black community, but for everyone of all communities. Mental health and well-being is important, and if it can impact him and some of his NBA brethren, then it can affect everyone.
“Mental health plays into it by just being open, having more conversations about it – people like me, people who have influence, in using it and making sure that other guys see me talking and can relate, because they might have gone through it as well,” Brown said. “Keep leading that charge… people need our help.”
Here are resources for anyone experiencing mental health issues, or for anyone who knows someone who might be. These come directly from the National Institute of Mental Health
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255); En Español 1-888-628-9454The Lifeline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline connects callers to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889.
Text “HELLO” to 741741The Crisis Text hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the U.S. The Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, connecting them with a crisis counselor who can provide support and information.
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource that connects veterans 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a trained responder. The service is available to all veterans, even if they are not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA healthcare. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss can call 1-800-799-4889.
Disaster Distress HelplineCall 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746The disaster distress helpline provides immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. The helpline is free, multilingual, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency.
View the NIMH 5 action steps for helping someone in emotional pain infographic to see how you can help those in distress.
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