Information About
Sports-Related Depression
by Joel Gorthy

The death of Craig Glass was shocking to many people. His family, friends and co-workers were left grieving and perplexed by his rapid slip from apparent health and happiness to complete mental anguish which, ultimately, resulted in his suicide in October 1996.

As is the case with most suicides, people who knew Craig wanted answers—wanted ways to channel their anger and pain into a productive healing process. The Glass family has found that through extensive counseling following Craig’s death.

For others dealing with suicidal feelings or for families and friends of suicide victims, a close support group may not exist. Help may seem hard to find. Even though suicide information has always existed by the volume in libraries, it has never been as easy to access as it now is on the Internet.

What follows is general information about several suicide-related topics and links to Web sites devoted to suicide prevention, awareness, statistics and counseling for the families of suicide victims.

Signs and Symptoms of Suicidal Behavior
Although people in certain age groups and other classifications may be in high-risk groups for suicide, there is really no way to accurately predict who may end his or her life. Certain behaviors and life events may exhibit or precede suicidal tendencies in an individual, however, and should be watched for. People at high risk are those who:

    Talk about committing suicide
    Go through drastic changes in overall attitude and behavior
    Prepare for death by making a will and other arrangements
    Experience severe losses (family member, friend, job, etc.)
    Have trouble eating and/or sleeping
    Give away valuable possessions
    Lose interest in personal appearance or things they normally care about
    Withdraw from family, friends and activities
    Make statements about hopelessness, helplessness or worthlessness
How to Deal With the Suicide
of a Loved One
The suicide of a family member or friend will cause the same flood of grief and other emotions that any other kind of death will, with added feelings of betrayal, confusion and perhaps shame. The grief process is typically divided into four stages: denial, anger, depression and acceptance. Although grieving usually follows this general timetable, the process is different for everyone. Some very general tips for staying healthy during grieving periods include:
    Be willing to openly discuss your emotional pain with others
    Accept help from those offering it
    Seek help from a hospital, church, hospice or other social service agency
    Sleep enough, eat well and exercise regularly
    Try to maintain some semblance of normality in your life
Where to Find Help for Suicidal Individuals
Sources for help and counseling exist in most communities. It is not easy to heal the emotional pain of suicidal people, but they often exhibit the desire for help by confiding in others their intentions to die. People thinking about suicide and those helping them should refer to the following sources in their hometowns:
    Community mental health agencies
    Suicide prevention or crisis hotlines (usually listed at the front of phone books)
    Family doctor
    Therapist or counselor
    School counselor or psychologist
    Library or online literature
Comprehensive Suicide-Related Web Sites
Online Articles Dealing With Athletes
and Postinjury Depression
“The Longest Mile,” an inFlux article exploring links between injury and depression among serious athletes, and this sidebar were written using research from online sports psychology articles, among other sources. Those with particular relevance include several stories from the July 1996 American Psychological Association Monitor, an issue devoted to sports psychology topics. Articles from that journal and others helpful in the research of “The Longest Mile” include:

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