Troy Selwood RIP

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Tragic situation for everyone. Heart goes out to the family and kids.

Brings rushing back to mind this song played at a mate's funeral quite a few years ago, which left us all speechless and sobbing. RIP.

 
There’s a lot of healthy discourse around in this thread but there’s still a lot of misdirection. When someone is so mentally unwell that they take their own life it’s not a conversation that would have changed their path. It’s hospitalisation, it’s professional care, it’s medication, it’s all of this for more then just a few months until “they feel better”.

It’s a serious illness. The stigma isn’t about talking up anymore, it’s about genuine lifelong treatment and management.
I can see where you're coming from with that. Some people require acute care that can only be delivered by qualified professionals that goes well beyond just having a chat.

However, the way I've interpreted what others have been saying in this thread is that if men can feel comfortable enough to talk about their feelings with someone, then they might take that step and open a dialogue with a qualified health professional like their GP, a psychologist, or a counsellor. Or if they speak to a family member or friend, that person they've confided in can then encourage or support them in seeking qualified professional help. Even the best and most qualified medical professionals in the world cannot engage in life preservation (suicide prevention) with an individual unless that individual actually tells them what's going on inside, which inherently requires the person struggling to engage in conversation to get the journey towards help and recovery started.
 

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I can see where you're coming from with that. Some people require acute care that can only be delivered by qualified professionals that goes well beyond just having a chat.

However, the way I've interpreted what others have been saying in this thread is that if men can feel comfortable enough to talk about their feelings with someone, then they might take that step and open a dialogue with a qualified health professional like their GP, a psychologist, or a counsellor. Or if they speak to a family member or friend, that person they've confided in can then encourage or support them in seeking qualified professional help. Even the best and most qualified medical professionals in the world cannot engage in life preservation (suicide prevention) with an individual unless that individual actually tells them what's going on inside, which inherently requires the person struggling to engage in conversation to get the journey towards help and recovery started.

That’s a fair take with some balanced extensions. The only overlaying thing I’ll add is that we expect mentally unwell people to be able to think rationally and logically and it’s just not always going to work. It’s very much a case by case situation and conversations definitely help.
 
That’s a fair take with some balanced extensions. The only overlaying thing I’ll add is that we expect mentally unwell people to be able to think rationally and logically and it’s just not always going to work. It’s very much a case by case situation and conversations definitely help.
Some of the research I've read has suggested that suicidality is linked with diminishing problem-solving skills, which is a key cognitive function. Someone already touched on this earlier in the thread, but as an individual loses their ability to look at a problem and analyse it for workable solutions, suicide begins to loom as the only viable path to take. The development of this tunnel vision is not something I would expect a parent, sibling, partner, friend, or colleague to fix through mere conversation, so I absolutely agree with you there when it comes to recognising the importance of acute, professional care.
 
RUOk day annoys me because organizations use it to make it look like they give a toss. In reality we are all just numbers. I got frustrated at the end of last year because I was sick of being so iaolated and alone I spoke up about it and how we need to do more than a stupid one day a year. I openly discussed on FB about how I was struggling.

Not ONE single person sent me a DM to ask if I was OK. GOT A FEW emojis butbtgat was it. Outside thst day, noone is willing to have those conversations.
Sorry to hear that. I think people just don't want to get involved. I still think there is an attitude that a person is weak if they admit they are struggling or are lonely. This is both sad & disappointing. There is so much loneliness out there. I hope you've been able to find someone to chat to. I'm also a Port supporter & always happy to chat.
 
There’s a lot of healthy discourse around in this thread but there’s still a lot of misdirection. When someone is so mentally unwell that they take their own life it’s not a conversation that would have changed their path. It’s hospitalisation, it’s professional care, it’s medication, it’s all of this for more then just a few months until “they feel better”.

It’s a serious illness. The stigma isn’t about talking up anymore, it’s about genuine lifelong treatment and management.
I agree. From my medical background, In these similar situations , the best course of action is to be sedated and treated professionally.
Having said that, each case is different.
 
Suicide is a massive problem, especially for men. We need to normalise men talking about their problems and their feelings as I think it is still somewhat of a taboo, which really contributes to certain groups of men feeling very alone and like they cannot talk to anyone.
You’re the first post anywhere on the internet that actually said the word “suicide”… that’s how far in the sand our heads are about it… if we can’t say the word, how can we move forward and address the issues!
 
You’re the first post anywhere on the internet that actually said the word “suicide”… that’s how far in the sand our heads are about it… if we can’t say the word, how can we move forward and address the issues!

Or that the article will not mention the cause of death but then down the bottom you will see the Lifeline/Beyond Blue phone numbers which gives away what happened anyway.
 
Terrible terrible news. So many don't get a mention.

Grief for the people left behind that have to deal with this for the rest of their lives,

I used to think it was the cowards way to leave. Now I think how awful it is for that person to think there is no other option.

Truly sad
 
Why would I look at him twice, because he was Troy Selwood? At the end of the day if he felt like he had no hope, what can you do, bring him some homeless person to give him some hope?

Yeah, that was a weird post you were replying to (now deleted).

We were on a family holiday back in 2016 and happened to be almost completely alone on a beach with James Hird and his family.
We didn't want to bother him, so we just pretended we didn't know who he was.

Literally a week later the news broke that he'd attempted to take his own life.
My brother in law and I discussed for a while how everything looked so normal on that day, and we wondered perhaps IF we'd struck up a conversation and just been general, nice human beings if it would have changed the course of his week.

It probably wouldn't have, but it certainly played on our minds a lot.
 
There’s a lot of healthy discourse around in this thread but there’s still a lot of misdirection. When someone is so mentally unwell that they take their own life it’s not a conversation that would have changed their path. It’s hospitalisation, it’s professional care, it’s medication, it’s all of this for more then just a few months until “they feel better”.

It’s a serious illness. The stigma isn’t about talking up anymore, it’s about genuine lifelong treatment and management.
Yes, craffles. But its less likely to be sought in the first place if the whole topic of suicide is so unmentionable.
The coroner's findings are based on decade of research and looking at specific cases and finding a common thread.

If I'm suicidal, it may be "a conversation" that begins to turn things around. In a world where it's okay to use the word "depressed" but not "suicidal", we're lessening the chance of that happening.
 
RUOk day annoys me because organizations use it to make it look like they give a toss. In reality we are all just numbers. I got frustrated at the end of last year because I was sick of being so iaolated and alone I spoke up about it and how we need to do more than a stupid one day a year. I openly discussed on FB about how I was struggling.

Not ONE single person sent me a DM to ask if I was OK. GOT A FEW emojis butbtgat was it. Outside thst day, noone is willing to have those conversations.

I've got a friend with mental health issues. Every RUOK Day she posts a FB message like "If you haven't asked me how I'm doing on one of the other 364 days of the year, DON'T ask me today."
 

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Or that the article will not mention the cause of death but then down the bottom you will see the Lifeline/Beyond Blue phone numbers which gives away what happened anyway.
I did mention this earlier, but kudos to the editorial board at the Geelong Advertiser, who as far as I can tell continue to be the only newspaper reporting directly.

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The obvious question; but it can't be answered at least now. And 40 is pretty young for CTE to have developed to that extent. It's a degenerative condition.


Seemed like a very tough, in and under player. Similar to Shane Tuck, who had a very severe case of CTE at just 38, quoted as being one the worst he had seen, by the examing Dr.

Tucky did boxing as well, post afl, but it seems he already had symptoms long before that.
 
The obvious question; but it can't be answered at least now. And 40 is pretty young for CTE to have developed to that extent. It's a degenerative condition.
What age would it be most likely be a determining factor?

I always felt concern for Joel Selwood with the number of head impacts he received.

The other Selwoods seem to have more head impacts than most AFL players.
 
Just horrible. I have zero knowledge of whether Troy Selwood suffered from long term effects from concussions, he may have had no issues at all with it. But what has happened certainly makes the below article from 2012 a difficult read as we continue to learn more about what concussions can do:

 
When someone is so mentally unwell that they take their own life it’s not a conversation that would have changed their path. It’s hospitalisation, it’s professional care, it’s medication.
I think a lot of men still have a stigma against mental health practitioners.
I used to need a fair bit of encouragement to see the quack.

Edit: Points been made a few times now sorry.
 
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Yes, craffles. But its less likely to be sought in the first place if the whole topic of suicide is so unmentionable.
The coroner's findings are based on decade of research and looking at specific cases and finding a common thread.

If I'm suicidal, it may be "a conversation" that begins to turn things around. In a world where it's okay to use the word "depressed" but not "suicidal", we're lessening the chance of that happening.

Point taken and agreed. Well said.
 
mental health issues are difficult for a lot of people to talk about. i was fortunate enough to participate in a workshop at work spanning a full day regarding men's mental health, focused on teenagers and how to accurately approach talking about in a safe and helpful way. while it was confronting for a lot of the teens (14-16 years old) and especially seeing teachers (myself) actually open up about the issues that they face in their personal lifes really allowed them to understand that they are not alone with their troubles. i was only rostered on for one of the sessions but anecdotally i have seen a visable change coming into 2025.

i similarly think that RUOK day is a PR stunt but it is, at the barest minimum, something. i wouldn't trust my employer with anything about my mental health.
 
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