Depression initiative sad but true state of affairs
Michael Cockerill
February 15, 2012
Dez Giraldi might have been a football star. Who knows? Capped by Australia at youth level, a full-time professional for both Sydney FC and Adelaide United. These days he's playing for pocket money at Tarrawanna, a club in the semi-pro Illawarra competition, and working in his family fruit and vegetable business. And he's only 25.
Anxiety got the better of Giraldi, but it took him three years to figure out what was happening to his life. Yesterday he sat alongside two former state premiers, Jeff Kennett and Morris Iemma, and stole the show as beyondblue announced a three-year partnership with the Sky Blues to raise awareness of depression and anxiety issues. Sydney's home match against Melbourne Victory on March 10 will be played for the beyondblue Cup, and the SFS is willing to decorate the stadium in blue to mark the occasion.
Kennett and Iemma, both on the board of beyondblue, spoke with conviction. Giraldi spoke from the heart. Before Gary Speed took his own life, before Dan Parks this month succumbed to cyber vitriol and retired on the spot, Giraldi had walked away from professional sport because he couldn't cope with the fishbowl existence. On that score, he's not alone. What sets him apart is his bravery, and honesty, in speaking out. Kennett is renowned for being a hard marker, but by the look on his face at yesterday's press conference, the former Victorian premier was mightily impressed. You could see Kennett was giving Giraldi 10 out of 10.
"What hit him hardest, and deepest, was the toxic world of internet forums and the social media.
Injuries and missed opportunities played their part in Giraldi's crisis of confidence, but what hit him hardest, and deepest, was the toxic world of internet forums and the social media. ''It was a big mistake to read them,'' he admits.
A Facebook site called ''Watch Dez Giraldi Warm Up'' - a clear sledge at his long spells on the treatment table - was the final straw. ''Everything that was said about me, I took it to heart,'' he says. ''If I had my time again, I wouldn't go near them. It's incredible what people are allowed to get away with. If that sort of bullying went on in a normal workplace, people would be out of a job.''
Iemma agrees. The former NSW premier remembers a time when ''the worst thing you'd cop was someone yelling over the fence at Lambert Park''. Cyberspace has changed everything. ''My concern is it's only going to get worse,'' Iemma says. ''The bar is continually raised, and success is redefined. What was success 20 years ago is no longer considered a success today, and that can only continue to build pressure, at times unbearable pressure, on the athletes themselves. Professional sport can definitely be an unhealthy environment, perhaps a tragic environment, if those involved see mental health issues as a sign of weakness. The important phase for prevention is the awareness, the education, and that's what this is all about.''
Giraldi remembers the shortness of breath, the headaches, the heart palpitations like they were yesterday. He remembers warming up in stadiums with his head feeling like it was going to burst, and his heart was going to explode. Education, and awareness, has allowed him to recognise the symptoms, and manage the reactions, which, thankfully, are only a rare occurrence these days. He's still young enough to try and resurrect his professional career, but he's also mature enough to ponder whether it's worth it. Not the first, and certainly not the last, athlete to be hounded by a legion of anonymous keyboard assassins. Sad, isn't it?
To find out about depression and anxiety call the beyondblue information line on 1300 224 636 or go to beyondblue.org.au
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/depression-initiative-sad-but-true-state-of-affairs-20120214-1t43u.html#ixzz1mbEakobk