Thread: Junior Seau Dead - Suicide

Originally Posted by loki520

I think what you may fail to realize, and it certainly seems so (no offense), is that a lot of suicides are NOT in their right-mind. I'm not calling them crazy (and I assume some actually ARE, but...), but quite a few of them simply can't control their thoughts. It might be "mental illness", such a bi-polar, etc... or it could be something not necessarily an "illness" per se, but still quite able to screw with your mind (injury like Jrs., etc.). The WORST think you can do is to think that your experience has any bearing or validity on THEIR thought process. Most of this shit is result of some chemical in the brain (seratonin, etc..) and the lack of production of that can easily be attributed to injuries and other factors.

That "feeling worthless" may be an effect of depression, and trust me - there is nothing "simple" about depression,.. it is impossible for people suffering from depression to control their thoughts once they start in on that downward emotional spiral and the seemingly smallest and petty shit can be the spark for an entire inferno of negative thinking. Thinking of family, debt, employment, etc. may certainly set it off, but to these people, there mind is all swirled up in thoughts they can't control. They stub their toe, which leads them to think that they are worthless ("Damn, I can't even walk right!") even jokingly, which gets them to thinking (2 days later when they remember the toe!) of all the negative shit that happened in their life, then they start analyzing that negative shit to find out why it happened, which causes them to think about what they did to cause it, and before you know it... they were the 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll and wouldn't life be much better for everyone else, ESPECIALLY loved ones, if they weren't around to fuck it up?

Yea.. it's stupid. But to them it makes PERFECT SENSE and nothing you try to tell them is going to convince them for anything more than a couple minutes that it doesn't.

Here's my PSA to married men (the rest of you gonna have to deal with this crazy shit best you can). About the same time your wife tells you she has had her last period, and trust me... she'll let you know when it happens, you need to take 30 minutes or so to research "menopause" and it's side effects. Because once that old bugaboo starts stomping the shit out of her hormones, it moves directly to her emotions and there is a very good percentage that one (or more!) of her menopausal side-effects is gonna be depression, anxiety, maybe vertigo, etc...

Dr. Loki

Well said. You nailed it pretty well.

Just sad because as I continue to hear Seau wouldn't even sit in the training rooms, he'd go back to his room and have private docs work on him and wrap him because he didn't want the team to see their leader banged up or hurting. Scary that it transitioned into his real-life and he never reached out for the help that he desperately needed. It has to be something mental because after hearing about stories of Andre Waters and Duerson it's hard to imagine going to that place or considering it and not going to talk to someone, former player, doctor, reach out to someone.

That being said here's an awesome story from Saints OL:

Originally Posted by Jimmors

I understand what he was trying to say...i was merely pointing out that CTE is not the same as your typical depression. The injury turns people into somebody else, it alters their brain to the point that they act in ways that they normally never have or would if they werent injured. Theres a HUGE difference between CTE and simply being depressed because of stress and a chemical imbalance.

But, without an autopsy on the brain, we cant confirm that Junior even had CTE, so it just very well MIGHT have been depression and stress, just like countless other suicides. Cant know one way or the other until (or even if) they autopsy his brain (only way to diagnose CTE). But, seeing as Junior was a pro Football player, and had a long career of hitting other players as a Defensive player, it would be the most likely reasoning for his actions.

Actually their really isn't. A deep depression will have the same symptoms you describe and it's generally a combination of psychological and bio chemical factors that induce it. The actual effect on the brain itself may be different when it comes from physical rather than emotional trauma or chemical deficiency but the way it presents is pretty similar. Although I would guess the physically induced trauma is far more damaging over the long haul as it becomes a degenerative disorder. That part I'm not certain of.

I think a lot of the personality changes come about from losing your "self" and everything that grounds you with reality. You really aren't you anymore because you're not even sure who "you" is. It feels like you're in a different dimension most of the time but people can learn to be real adept at faking it for short periods of time. Their sudden isolation and some uncharacteristic behavior are usually the first tip offs.

I think that's why Duerson's and Seau's death come as such a shock. Even those close to you don't always pick up on it if you hide it well. Nobody but you knows how bad it is and family and friends seem to think you're just down about something and you'll eventually pull yourself out of it so they tend to leave you alone. The trouble is pulling yourself out of it is like trying to pull on a rope that isn't connected to anything anymore. Basically it can't be done.

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

I also think the HGH/Steriod really F w/their body/minds...you cannot be on that stuff for any length of time, then get off you and not have it effect you mentality/emotions. And I have no doubt that 80%+ of football players are on them for any # of reasons.

In a sense I agree w/4th, I cannot feel sorry for someone that kills himself; but I can empathise w/whatever they were going through that made them feel the need to do it w/out seeking any help. Ecspecially when it comes to potential brain damage that might have led to the situation.

In reality Ric the clinically depressed don't want anyone feeling sorry for them. It's one of the reasons they isolate and refuse to seek treatment. You believe that you can work it out on your own. The very act of seeking professional help feels like you're asking people to feel sorry for you and that's not what you want. You just want to feel "normal" again.

I'll just throw out there that I have a friend who is the mom of 3 and 34 years old. For the last year or two she did indeed change her behavior and many things in her life. Everyone noticed, and most rationalized it with life conditions, having an autistic child, money problems, whatever. She found out last week she had a brain tumor and had it removed. Of course, I pray for her speedy and full recovery.

Once you think about it, all that rationalizing was wrong. Sure, the thoughts may have contributed to her behaviors, but the root cause was a tumor. Every single thing, voluntary and involuntary, that we do/think/say is controlled by that 8lb squishy mass in our heads. Having something off kilter in there can have massive repercussions.

Originally Posted by Jimmors

Then you are sadly misinformed on this topic. This is NOT a case of "well, hes just depressed and decided to kill himself." No...CTE effects the BRAIN, makes a person act "out of character" (which family and friends confirm after these incidents, like junior's are now). The injuries damage the brain to the point where their behavior goes far beyond simple "depression" or "melancholy" and they act wildly out of character.

Its not about simply struggling 4th, its about changes in the brain due to injury that causes them to act in a wildly erratic way most of us cant really comprehend.

If that's the case then why do we never hear about former Rugby players committing suicide? Rugby is as brutal as Football and players don't wear any protection. Concussions happen all the time.