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How an NBA star helped a fan seek mental health support

The power of athletes to engage with fans has never been more evident - or important - than it was with one Reddit user over the weekend.

NBA star Kevin Love’s courage to speak openly about his serious mental health challenges has sparked an NBA fan on Reddit to reach out for support of their own.

Reddit user r/klobucharzard wrote on the NBA subreddit that Love’s message had cut through in a different way to every other time he’d listened to someone speak about anxiety and depression.Related: Heath Black opens up on his mental health

“I have obsessively read mental health, self-help, healing books over the years, but for some reason seeing wealthy and successful athletes talk about it hits different for me,” Reddit user klobucharzard wrote.“Brilliant doctors and authors have made me think about this stuff, but I never took action until I saw the Kevin Love piece.View mental health advocates available to book on PickStar

Athletes as mental health advocates

Love spoke candidly with Graham Bensinger about his ongoing mental health battles, detailing how his severe anxiety had left him bedridden and brought on suicidal thoughts.

The raw and insightful interview showed on a human level the challenges we all face, regardless of how perfect or imperfect our lives seem.Related: What sports stars can teach us about mental health

Following on from his powerful piece in The Players Tribune in 2018, Love’s recent interview with Bersinger certainly struck another chord.

“It's like, Kevin Love has everything I ever wanted, or think I wanted in life, but yet those achievements don't fix the underlying problem,” said Reddit user klobucharzard.

“From the books, I've read and what I've experienced on a micro-level I know this to be true logically, but that never inspired me to actually deal with this thing.”

Sports stars use profile to deliver powerful messages

Love is one of a growing chorus of athletes sharing their stories of mental health battles, performance anxiety, and depression.

Sports stars are uniquely positioned to get cut-through with fans and the general public alike. People are able to see the seemingly 'perfect' lives they lead, which makes their experiences all the more meaningful, especially for those experiencing mental health challenges themselves.

With the train-wreck that has been 2020 meaning many Australians have been forced to face additional challenges, it's an incredibly important time for businesses to speak to their employees about mental health.

Having a sports star who is passionate about mental health come in and speak to employees can be an incredibly powerful way of getting the message across.

PickStar has more than 1800 stars available to request, with more than 200 passionate mental health advocates ready to work with you.

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