Kevin Pierre-Louis Is Tackling Depression Stigma By Sharing His Own Experience

Depression can throw off your game ― literally.

Just ask Seattle Seahawks linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis, who recently discussed how his experience with depression threatened his ability to perform as a professional football player.

“I dropped weight, I’m looking frail, school wasn’t going well, I wasn’t sleeping,” Pierre-Louis told ESPN. “And I guess I just bottled everything in.”

After years of holding people at a distance through high school and much of college, Pierre-Louis opened up to his coach about his mental health difficulties.

“All these things that I said, ‘Oh it’s just mental,’ you know, ‘I’m just sweeping it under the rug,’ they just ended up piling up and piling up,” he said.

A doctor later diagnosed Pierre-Louis with depression and prescribed him medication as part of his treatment, which the football player says helped him tremendously.

A round of applause is in order for the linebacker: Candid conversations in the public eye are needed in order for society to be more accepting when it comes to mental health issues. One in five people will experience a mental health disorder in a given year. However, research shows many don’t seek treatment due to stigma. Men, in particular, often stay silent when they’re dealing with a mental health issue for fear of being judged or shamed.

“This conversation needs to be had and this complete sense of vulnerability is something that we all need to share,” Pierre-Louis said.

Now that’s what we’d call a touchdown.

Watch the video below to hear more about the NFL star’s experience with depression: