Talk about your problems, open up about the demons that eat away at us from the inside, ask for help. Not so long ago, these steps toward healing the soul would have been seen as a sign of weakness. Especially from a man, even more so from a professional athlete.
• Read also: Excellent news about Samuel Girard
Luckily, the company is no longer there. Like Carey Price and Jonathan Drouin did before him, Samuel Girard retired from action at the end of November. For a month, he instead chose to treat severe anxiety and depression disorders that led to alcohol abuse.
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Visiting the Bell Center yesterday afternoon with his Colorado Avalanche teammates, the 25-year-old from Roberval agreed to open up about this process which led him to miss 20 games.
“I needed this break to refocus on myself and my values. It takes a lot of courage, but I’m happy. I was not going in the right direction,” he said without going into details.
“Today I feel good, I feel relieved. I have less weight on my shoulders, I experience less anxiety,” he continued.
The defender had kind words for his family, his wife, his teammates and the members of the organization who supported him without restraint during this ordeal.
“It definitely helps a lot. After two or three days, I was still wondering if I had done the right thing. With everyone supporting me, it made my thinking easier.”
Don’t want to be here anymore
Moreover, everyone saw it as a great lesson in courage. Drouin, well placed to understand his teammate, made sure to support him by texting him regularly. As for his coach, he highlighted his bravery, even if he lost an important element of his defensive brigade.
“No matter what you do in life, it takes a lot of courage to admit you need help. Even more so when you are a public figure. You get criticized, whether it’s deserved or not,” said Jared Bednar, Avalanche head coach.
There are more and more cases of players seeking help from the NHL support program. Aware of this reality, the NHL Players’ Association launched a program last week to educate athletes on mental health.
An initiative applauded by Girard.
“This is big news. It’s going to help a lot of people. If we can save one person in the world, that will already be a good thing, said the defender. Our mental health must be taken care of. Because you can get to a point where you don’t want to be here anymore.”
An inspiration
Thanks to the help he received during the month of December, Girard seems to have landed firmly on his feet.
“I understand life more. I used to think you didn’t talk about your problems. I always thought I had to control this on my own,” he said.
On the ice, his return is also going well. He played in the Avalanche’s final seven games, slowly returning to the duties he previously performed.
“I feel he is in an excellent state of mind. He is happy, healthy and enjoying the game and his teammates again. We feel very confident. He plays very well,” assured Bednar.
“G’s story was an inspiration to everyone,” he added.
And, hopefully, not just for the world of hockey.