“You need to equip your young adult for how to get through it on their own. So shepherd them. Get them the tools and resources. Let them mess it up a little bit. It's natural to protect, protect, protect, and direct, direct, direct—but your child needs to explore this time on their own a little bit with the right resources and the right people around them. They're going to go through this again and again and again at different stages of their life and going through an injury at a young age, they're going to have to grow up a little bit faster. So help them, but don't control them.”

In this week’s episode of The Injured Athletes Club podcast, Britt Hunter, a former Division I basketball player, shares her struggle recovering from an injury that changed her professional trajectory.

She discusses how this led to her battling depression, attempting suicide—heads-up that there is a frank discussion of that moment in this episode—and eventually finding her path forward. She moved on to the field of education, which she describes as a lifeline.

Britt emphasizes the importance of mental health resources for student-athletes and suggests athletes pour their energy into a cause or mission bigger than themselves. She shares her story to inspire other struggling athletes and make them realize that they are not alone in their journey. And, she has many words of advice for parents of young athletes, too.

Note: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Resources/links:

• Britt’s LinkedIn

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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.