"You think you know me..."
These were the opening lyrics to Adam Copeland's theme entrance. Oh, you better know him as Edge, former WWE World Champion superstar and now actor. These words would echo throughout the arena as a testament to the character he portrayed week in and week out. However, the same can be said for many of us, and this is never more true than when Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan revealed his struggles with depression and anxiety.
During a recent interview with the Toronto Star, he mentioned in a tweet about his battles and how basketball helped him deal with these issues. Despite growing up in rough conditions in Compton, California, he was able to stay away from the temptations of drugs and alcohol addition. He saw how it destroyed the lives of those he was close to, but learned that in the midst of everything, he had a support group that helped him through those dark times.
DeRozan told the paper, "It's one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we're all human at the end of the day. We all got feelings...all of that. Sometimes...it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world's on top of you."
We sometimes forget that in the heat of the battle, these athletes are human just like you and I. They suffer from loneliness, depression, fear and anxiety as well. As sometime who goes through his own anxieties, I realize that it is not an easy thing to deal with day in and day out. Much like DeRozan, I have learned that it is important to have people supporting you, no matter what you may be going through.
It took a lot of courage for someone who is in the spotlight constantly like DeRozan to speak up about his vulnerabilities. We need to do the same, because you never know who else is going through the struggle alongside you. Be an encouragement, or seek encouragement from someone who has overcome their obstacles.
Besides, it's when we open ourselves up, is when we experience true freedom. You're not alone...
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