Professional athletes tend not to share their vulnerabilities, but Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is speaking out to bring awareness to mental health.
In an essay for The Players’ Tribune, Love shared he suffered a panic attack at halftime Nov. 5 against the Atlanta Hawks.
“It came out of nowhere. I’d never had one before. I didn’t even know if they were real. But it was real — as real a broken hand or a sprained ankle. Since that day, almost everything about the way I think about my mental health has changed.”
Love noted how he’s previously followed the “man’s ‘playbook'” of how to deal with mental stressors: internalize it, don’t share.
But that’s now exactly the opposite what he’s doing. Love revealed he’s regularly visiting a therapist and opening up about his life. It’s also allowed him the chance to discuss his late grandma, and the conversations have lifted a mental weight from Love.
No story is the same, no pain is the same. But Love’s mission is a worthy one: Seeking help does not show weakness, because as he says, “Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.”