Overcoming Depression After Injuries

By Joel Berroa
Stonehill College News Blog Journalist

EASTON—Stonehill College senior football player Sean Cassidy injured his left leg in a game against Saint Anselm College, a rivalry affectionately known as the “Battle for the Ol’ Bronze Hawk.”

Cassidy, a safety on the Stonehill defense, tore the ACL and MCL meniscus in his left knee while making a tackle for the Skyhawks (1-1), in their 57-54 triple overtime victory over the Hawks of Saint Anselm (0-1).

“It was not easy seeing my teammates play on the field without me,” said Cassidy, who did not return to the game but was able to cheer on his team on the sidelines.

During the first two games of the season, in a loss to Fairmont State University and a win over Saint Anselm, Cassidy was an important part of the Stonehill defensive back field. He amassed 12 total tackles from his safety position in just two games, pacing the Skyhawk defense.

After the overtime thriller against the Hawks finished, Cassidy was taken to a local area hospital, where doctors performed surgery to repair his knee.

“Surgery was rough, “said Cassidy, an accounting major from Bohemia, New York. “Worst pain in my life the day after.”

After the surgery procedure, Cassidy learned that his injury would likely force him into a possible early retirement, as it looked like he was going to miss the final eight games of his senior year.
This tragic news dealt an emotional blow to Cassidy, leading to a difficult battle with depressive thoughts over the following months.

“It sucks,” said Cassidy. “It’s my senior year and I can’t play.”

Cassidy not only dealt with the psychological trauma of missing the season, but also struggled through the difficult process of recovering from a leg injury. He had to manage getting around, while wearing a functional ACL knee brace for three months’ post-surgery.

To add to all of the other difficulties, Cassidy had to sit by and watch as the Stonehill Skyhawks football team finished the 2018 season with a disappointing 2-8 record.

“I was depressed,” said Cassidy. “It was definitely a mental fight between my body and myself. I knew if I gave up then I would be giving up on all the people that supported me, helped me, and never gave up on me.”

Dave Hurley is a professor in the Psychology Department at Stonehill and specializes in sport psychology.

“Students and student-athletes can definitely overcome mental health issues,” he said. “It’s possible for just about everyone to eventually overcome mental health problems, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.”He said student-athletes face psychological and physical challenges.

“For many student-athletes, they have been able to overcome a lot of hardship throughout their life by simply ‘pushing through,’ said Hurley. “However, many athletes hit a point where they can no longer ‘tough it out’ and need to seek help outside of themselves, which can be difficult for many athletes who fear judgment and repercussions of being called ‘weak’ or not ‘tough enough’.”

Hurley continued, “Many people who do seek help with friends and family are confronted with unwarranted advice, or treatment options. However, most people want (and need) unconditional love, support, and acceptance far more than they want or need advice, judgment, or instructions during the recovery process.”

Cassidy said spending time with family and friends helped fight off the loneliness that came with not being able to play with his teammates.

Hurley’s research examines the effect of coach training on coaches' ability to give positive, motivating feedback to their athletes, and he stresses the value of having a support system in place.

“The most important thing that helps a lot of people is simply having someone or multiple people, like a therapist, friend, family member, or clergy member,” said Hurley. “Someone who is willing to listen, be non-judgmental, and to help the person help themselves.”

A 2014 study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, titled “Social Support from the Athletic Trainer and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety at Return to Play,” communicates the importance other people have had for developing positive mental results for the many student-athletes facing, and returning from, injury during their college careers.

According to the study, “approximately 40% to 50% of collegiate athletes sustain at least one injury requiring medical attention or restricted participation (or both) for one day or more during the athletic career.”

The study’s authors mention that “growing evidence also suggests that emotional social support, defined as expressions of empathy, love, trust, and caring, may be crucial to recovery for injured collegiate athletes; other types of social support, including instrumental support (i.e., provision of tangible aid and services) and informational support (i.e., provision of advice, suggestions, and information), may be available to injured collegiate athletes as part of injury treatment.”

When he felt depressed, Cassidy said it helped to talk with his family, most specifically his mother, where she helped him remember why he started playing football in the first place.

“I love my Mom, she knew exactly what to say,” said Cassidy. “She always texted me Bible verses, like ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I felt so weak and alone, but those Bible verses sent from my mother really helped me keep going.”

As the season progressed, and his chances for playing again seemed slim, Cassidy continued to work hard and keep up with his physical therapy, with hopes of getting back on the field. Over time, Cassidy really struggled to work out with his dislocated knee.

“Students are always trying to rush back into playing again,” said Barry Darling, an athletic trainer at Stonehill College. “It’s my job to help them attend their sport again, but it takes a lot of patience and consistent stretching and icing.”

Darling helps student-athletes get back to participating in their athletic performance in full health.

“I love my job,” said Darling. “It’s satisfying to see a player return back to playing. It makes me happy. I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose.” 

Cassidy said that he is now able to walk again and is slowly getting back into sprinting, backpedaling, and lifting weights.

“I know I still have awhile to go with rehab,” said Cassidy. “But I know that I will overcome the injury, and be a vessel for people. So I am happy I can be that for people.”

Cassidy said that the injury does not bother him anymore, and that he is not scared to talk about his personal experiences, and the challenges he faced, particularly the depressive thoughts.

“I got hurt at first and I was upset,” said Cassidy. “But then with the help of my family, teammates, coaches, and God, I knew that I would be good.”

Cassidy said that he has put his faith in God, where he perceives his injury as an indication of his greater purpose in life, beyond playing football. He believes his injury to be a form of missionary for God’s purpose, to speak about his faith in Jesus Christ.

“It’s part of God’s plan,” said Cassidy. “Maybe someone else is going through depression, and I can help them out by sharing my story.”

Cassidy said that he is so thankful for the process of recovering, because he wouldn’t have been able to learn the meaning of love through family and friends without it. He said the experience has made him more aware of the stigma of mental health, particularly for injured athletes who deal with depression, as their injuries take both a physical and a psychological toll on them. With this new awareness, he is now able to understand, and is more willing to relate to, athletes going through similar difficulties.

Cassidy continues to attend physical therapy and work hard on his path to recovery. Even though Cassidy lost a year of football because of his injury, he said he is looking to forward to playing the sport again.

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