This episode of the Grim Drive Podcast, where we explore mental health through the lens of professional sports and athletes, takes a look at Dak Prescott + Recovery.
One of the most notable recovery experiences we have come across has been that of NFL quarterback Alex Smith, whose experience was documented in the recent ESPN documentary titled “Project 11.” We chose to do this episode on another NFL quarterback, Dak Prescott (who happens to play in the same division), instead. We focused on Dak Prescott for two main reasons. One, his recovery process is multi-layered (recovery from loss of loved ones, pandemic isolation, and ongoing post-surgery rehab). And two, Prescott has been very vocal about his mental health struggles and the importance of speaking out and getting help when it comes to mental health. Each player who is willing to use their platform to reduce the stigma of mental health needs to be recognized and discussed, to ensure the collective benefits of that gesture are maximized for the masses.
We focus the first part of the episode on unpacking the many layers to Dak’s previous, ongoing, and future recovery process. We then cover the topic of recovery, where host Jon Cunha, LMHC covers his extensive work with athletes on mindset and recovery through a five-part Q+A. Many athletes put in work on performance mindset, but few understand how to approach the mental side of injury recovery. This episode, and particularly the Q+A, is a must listen for any athlete recovering from injury, or non-athlete whose life has been impacted by injury or illness.
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Dak Prescott episode related links:
- Charitable cause: https://www.faithfightfinish.org
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29854487/cowboys-prescott-got-help-anxiety-depression-offseason
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2020/09/10/dak-prescott-dallas-cowboys-depression-brother-jace/3460645001/
- https://sports.yahoo.com/dak-prescott-reveals-that-his-brother-died-of-suicide-203713773.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=15&v=Ju5l9-w3vYw&feature=youtu.be
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/09/11/skip-bayless-dak-prescott-depression/
- https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/news/dallas-cowboys-real-leader-dak-prescott-responds-to-bayless-on-depression
- https://www.theplayerstribune.com/videos/whats-your-sign-dak-prescott
- https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/dak-prescott-football-procamp
- https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/the-bond-created-by-hayden-hurst-dak-prescott
Injury:
- https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-dallas-cowboys-dak-prescott-ankle-injury-20201012-iex3xqvkobdghde4sctrndpxoy-story.html
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2020/12/04/cowboys-dak-prescott-ankle-injury-rehab-update/3832026001/
- https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/cowboys-dak-prescott-making-impressive-recovery-progress/
- https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/dak-prescott-discusses-rehab-from-ankle-surgery
- https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/video/alex-smith-pulling-dak-prescotts-recovery-after-similar-leg-injury
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What to do about Injury/Recovery:
***Disclaimer on MH tips (A LOT of tools and strategies with mental health are easy to understand, HARD to execute…#1 reason they are hard to execute is the fraudulent mindset of “it can’t be that easy”…it is and it isn’t…easy to comprehend does not mean easy to execute (working out and eating right are perfect examples of this)…beware of the mind’s tendency to downplay great solutions due to negativity, denial, or excuse making designed to avoid hard work…trained responses by the brain, deluding the self into thinking there is no point in order to give yourself permission to avoid change. *It is always best to seek professional help and work with someone, ESPECIALLY with trauma/PTSD.
Dealing with injury/recovery: Q+A with Jon
Questions:
- What are the biggest challenges you see people face with injury recovery?
- What are the biggest mistakes or missteps you see people make when dealing with injuries and the recovery process
- I would imagine recovery from injury is a process that has multiple stages to it…walk me through the stages and what each stage tends to involve…
- For those listening who don’t have a team of rehab specialists working around the clock for their care, what do you suggest?
- If someone is struggling with overlapping issues (recovery, depression, pandemic, etc.), is there an order of operations to how they handle those issues or do you try to attack each issue at the same time?
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Grim Drive Example:
- Alex Smith of WFT
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