Last night, the South Sydney Rabbitohs football club announced that the team’s revered captain, Greg Inglis, has entered a mental health rehabilitation facility.
“Inglis entered the facility last week and will be undergoing a series of programs and treatments to assist with his mental health,” the statement read.
“The Rabbitohs, Greg and his management will not be making any further comment at this stage, and we ask the media to respect the privacy of both Greg and his family at this time.”
According to one of Inglis’ friends and former teammates Justin Hodges, the Rabbitohs fullback, 30, has been struggling with on- and off-field battles, and that he just feels “lost”.
“I won’t go into exact details but it’s a bit of everything,” Hodges explains, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
“He feels lost.”
“It’s a bit of footy, it’s his injury and some personal stuff.”
“He’s never been in this position, it can be scary to be out with a long-term injury and there’s a lot of expectation on him.”
The injury Hodges is referring to is Inglis’ torn ACL ligament, which has seen him benched from the field since March this year.
When Inglis tore his ACL ligament in March, he was expected to be sidelined for at least six months while he recovers.
In Australia, depression, in its varied forms, is estimated to impact one in eight men at some stage in their lifetime.
It’s non-discriminatory in its reproach, having the ability to come down on the shoulders on any person – regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or profession.
Worryingly, if left unspoken about or untreated – something that mental health support service beyond blue says is a particularly applicable to men – depression can tragically wind people down a path to further distress and, in some cases, depression can be a high-risk factor for suicide.
Such is the case for two Aussie sporting greats, former-Parramatta Eels’ star Chad Robinson and ex-Wallaby Dan Vickerman, who each took their own lives earlier this year.
Both men faced depression after retiring from their respective sports, and, following their deaths, both men’s friends and families revealed that they didn’t know how depressed either Chad or Dan really were.
Reports of Inglis’ mental health issues does not come as welcome news – rather, the contrary – but it does shine a spotlight on the importance of reaching out and seeking help if and when you’re going through a tough time.
So that means not sucking it up and pushing through weeks of feeling guilty, overwhelmed, and disinterested in work, friends and family.
Not keeping quiet about constantly thinking, “I’m a failure” or “It’s my fault”.
Instead, if you, or someone you know is showing signs of depression, take action like Inglis and talk to someone about it. Contact beyond blue on 1300 224 636 or visit their website for more information about depression: what it is and how it can be treated.
