News broke yesterday that Steve Montador passed away the night before at his hime in Ontario. Steve Montador is an ex-NHL defenceman. He played for a number of teams including my favourite, the Calgary Flames.
A few years ago when recovering from a concussion Montador was open about the depression and anxiety that this process was causing him. He played a few more games, in the AHL and KHL, but in the end the concussion was career-ending for him.
At this point the police are saying they do not suspect foul play in Montadors death and they will know more after the autopsy. What you read in so many articles is an undertone that perhaps he took his own life. I believe that police are also saying this wasn't a suicide, but that is less obvious in the news releases from them.
So, then I come back to the topic of stigma. An assumption that because Montador had struggled with deprssion and anxiety that people automatically assume or suspect suicide. To me, this speaks directly to stigma. Yes, many people that take their own life struggle with mental illness. But the reverse is not necessarily true. Many people with mental illness do not take their own lives.
So, why the automatic assumption? Why the questions? Why the thoughts? Stigma, ignorance, lack of understanding and I guess also the desire for an immediate explanation, even though there isn't one. The question in my mind is would the assumptions be there is he hadn't been open about his struggles with depression and anxiety?
