Question - Can ongoing mental health distress lead to mental illness?The mental health card is something that we discuss regularly in our lunchroom in mental health services. The reality is the public have not been educated about the differences between mental health distress and mental illness.
Much of what footballers call ‘mental health’ is mental health distress. Reactive, brief, emotional difficulties. Mental illness is a much more severe form of ‘mental health’.
It’s important we understand the difference, all people experience mental health distress numerous times throughout their lives.
However moderate- severe mental illness is a completely different kettle of fish and shouldn’t be thrown in the same category.
Comment - for those who don't have a problem with the constant haranguing of a 19 year old kid trying to do the best he can playing a sport he's good at, and booing him when he is sitting on the bench injured, you are very ordinary human beings.
The irony is that he's probably achieved more in his life by being an AFL listed player and playing in front of 10's of thousands of people each week than 90% of the imbeciles who think they're achieving something by booing him on the field and bagging him on social media.