The Players' Tribune: "The Things You Can't See" — Colin Wilson shares his struggles with OCD

[ConnorMcMullet]

Very eye-opening article about what Colin Wilson and others with OCD have to deal with.

The Things You Can’t See | By Colin Wilson

Click to read more...

 

[Patrik Barkov]

Great read. OCD is a hell of a thing and you never know what players might be going through.

 

[ArWKo]

A really great read and a great perspective from Wilson on taking care of his mental health and seeking out less typical treatment that I’m happy has worked so well for him.

 

[qqaz]

Brave man, to write that. I hope he continues to get the help he needs to live his best life. OCD is no joke, and it is very different from how it's typically portrayed in Hollywood.

I strongly suggest anyone reading this thread read the PT article. You'll get more out of that in the next few minutes than you would reading another bad HF trade proposal.

Even if his career is over, like he suggested it might be, he should be really proud of it. Good player, and sounds like a good person.

 

[HansonBro]

It's interesting he makes no mention of players noticing or mentioning anything. I mean if it were me, and a guy next to me is tying his laces over and over again until his hands bleed, I think I'd be saying something to someone

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Great article. For those interested, I highly recommend the book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence if people are interested in the topic of psychedelics and mental health.

 

[Hierso]

Psychedelics is very useful when done correctly. I'm happy for Wilson, the combination of Xanax and booze is very dangerous.

Great article. For those interested, I highly recommend the book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence if people are interested in the topic of psychedelics and mental health.

I have a former co-worker that is working with terminally ill patients, they sometime use LSD (150ug) to treat some of the patients and it works pretty well. They are also looking into the effect it has on Hortons (Cluster Headache) and so far the results seem to be pretty good. I still not something you should mess around with just for fun tho.

 

[HansonBro]

I could actually see the guys in the locker room...."hey Wilzy, laces are undone"

 

[Swervin81]

Big ups to Wilson. I don't have OCD, but do struggle with some other things. That said, I've always hated how people use OCD as this character quirk. Like "oh, I'm so OCD because <insert XYZ routine>" and don't realize just how bad some people have it. Hell, I remember hearing one Chiclets pod where they were discussing equipment-related oddities among players and they were talking about Wes Walz and how he was using a discontinued model of skates. When his last pair wore out shortly into the 06-07 season, he tried a bunch of new ones and just straight up could not handle the different feel. He was constantly fidgeting around with them, adjusting them, it was genuinely causing him a great deal of distress. A few weeks later, he just straight up left for personal reasons and then abruptly retired midseason. I remember hearing from a few Wild blogs (prior to my HF days) that he had OCD and that's when that clicked - it really explained so much and honestly kinda illuminates the difference between OCD and superstition or preference. Preference implies you want to - OCD makes it so you have to and puts you into a serious deal of discomfort if you don't do things a certain way.

Also, I'm glad he brought up psychadelics. I feel like they should just be considered medicinal, given how many people with mental health they can help - we already kind of do this with medicinal marijuana. It's obviously not for everyone (I can vouch for this, weed makes my anxiety a million times worse), but the benefits for some are clear and pretty pronounced. I just hate the "alternative" medicine branding because it lumps in treatments which do give people a great, tangible deal of comfort with, say, that holistic nonsense that Steve Jobs threw his life away taking.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

sad how all of the most important hockey articles from TPT in the last half decade have been about either mental health or racism

 

[pheasant]

It's interesting he makes no mention of players noticing or mentioning anything. I mean if it were me, and a guy next to me is tying his laces over and over again until his hands bleed, I think I'd be saying something to someone

I could actually see the guys in the locker room...."hey Wilzy, laces are undone"

What garbage is this?

You have no idea who did or didn't try to help. You can't claim that just because he didn't explicitly mention teammates saying anything means none ever did. That's such a bad conclusion to jump to.

And you're even going as far as making a baseless claim that some made it worse? That's borderline slander.

This is some dangerous stuff here. You should get out of here with comments like this.

 

[pheasant]

I'll share one thing here that relates to mental health, and various treatment options. Someone I respect said once "nothing works for everyone, but something works for you."

It's important to remember that, unlike a physical issue like a broken arm, the treatment for one person may not always work for another. If you need the help, keep working until you find what works for you. You can do it! I promise.

 

[HansonBro]

What garbage is this?

You have no idea who did or didn't try to help. You can't claim that just because he didn't explicitly mention teammates saying anything means none ever did. That's such a bad conclusion to jump to.

And you're even going as far as making a baseless claim that some made it worse? That's borderline slander.

This is some dangerous stuff here. You should get out of here with comments like this.

Yes we do have an idea. It says right in the article. It was Poile and Fenton because of his airport routine.

But way to go looking for reasons to attack someone

 

[57special]

A member of my extended family has a very bad case, that gets worse as they have aged. An outwardly healthy, intelligent looking person who is incapable of doing the simplest things, like leaving the apartment, entering a home, going in a car, cooking. I have no idea how they dress themselves. Getting to anything on time is near impossible.

Moving read.

 

[Foppberg]

I don't think a lot of people realize just how helpful things like this can be for people who are in a similar boat. When you're an average Joe and you see someone famous open up about these things it's like ya.. It's not such a big deal to admit you need help.

 

[SomeDude]

What garbage is this?

You have no idea who did or didn't try to help. You can't claim that just because he didn't explicitly mention teammates saying anything means none ever did. That's such a bad conclusion to jump to.

And you're even going as far as making a baseless claim that some made it worse? That's borderline slander.

This is some dangerous stuff here. You should get out of here with comments like this.

I think you might want to look in the mirror when calling someone's comments garbage after reading yours.

 

[pheasant]

Yes we do have an idea. It says right in the article. It was Poile and Fenton because of his airport routine.

But way to go looking for reasons to attack someone

Forgive my semantic mistake saying we don't know "who did or didn't try to help." I should have just said we don't know "who didn't help."

You suggested his teammates didn't help. There's no reason to assume that. Just because he names a few, doesn't mean dozens of others didn't ask what's wrong, didn't reach out, and didn't notice. For all we know it was teammates that tipped off Poile and Fenton. Your assumption is dangerous.

 

[lordstanley91]

Forgive my semantic mistake saying we don't know "who did or didn't try to help." I should have just said we don't know "who didn't help."

You suggested his teammates didn't help. There's no reason to assume that. Just because he names a few, doesn't mean dozens of others didn't ask what's wrong, didn't reach out, and didn't notice. For all we know it was teammates that tipped off Poile and Fenton. Your assumption is dangerous.

What is wrong w you? I mean you’re comments just came like right out of left field. Like woah dude.

 

[pheasant]

What is wrong w you? I mean you’re comments just came like right out of left field. Like woah dude.

HansonBro claimed his teammates didn't help, saying he would have in their place. But there's nothing to suggest teammates didn't try to help. HansonBro then said he could picture Wilson's teammates mocking him for his mental illness, based on nothing at all.

I'm out of left field for saying that's not OK?

 

[HansonBro]

HansonBro claimed his teammates didn't help, saying he would have in their place. But there's nothing to suggest teammates didn't try to help. HansonBro then said he could picture Wilson's teammates mocking him for his mental illness, based on nothing at all.

I'm out of left field for saying that's not OK?

I didnt suggest or assume anything. I just said it was interesting he didnt mention teamates at all. And yes if I noticed I would have reached out, being the nice person I am. So what?

 

[al secord]

In hockey, routines are considered superstitions and are of the norm. I could see how his teammates may not have noticed. Athletes are in their own world and are hyper focused.

Glad he penned this article. Knowing that you're not alone is a big revelation to those with mental illness.

 

[pheasant]

I didnt suggest or assume anything. I just said it was interesting he didnt mention teamates at all. And yes if I noticed I would have reached out, being the nice person I am. So what?

I'm sure you would have. I'd like to think I would have, too. But it's easy to say "I would have done better," and it casts blame by suggesting others didn't do enough. We just don't know.

I am a bit triggered by these things. I had a friend take his own life, while I had no idea he was struggling with anything. I wouldn't appreciate it if someone said "I would have helped him in your place" or "I bet you teased him while he struggled".

I don't see the value in guessing who didn't help, or suggesting who might have made it worse.

I'll let it go now. Maybe I'm misreading you or overreacting. If that's the case, I apologize.

 

[HansonBro]

I'm sure you would have. I'd like to think I would have, too. But it's easy to say "I would have done better," and it casts blame by suggesting others didn't do enough. We just don't know.

I am a bit triggered by these things. I had a friend take his own life, while I had no idea he was struggling with anything. I wouldn't appreciate it if someone said "I would have helped him in your place" or "I bet you teased him while he struggled".

I don't see the value in guessing who didn't help, or suggesting who might have made it worse.

I'll let it go now. Maybe I'm misreading you or overreacting. If that's the case, I apologize.

Is 6 your magic number? How many times do I have to say I didnt imply the players did nothing. IT WAS JUST INTERESTING HE DIDNT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT IT

 

[Revelation]

What garbage is this?

You have no idea who did or didn't try to help. You can't claim that just because he didn't explicitly mention teammates saying anything means none ever did. That's such a bad conclusion to jump to.

And you're even going as far as making a baseless claim that some made it worse? That's borderline slander.

This is some dangerous stuff here. You should get out of here with comments like this.

Lmfao chill out take your outraged internet white knight dopamine hit and go on your merry way

 

[Esq]

Great article. Hopefully someone who is suffering alone reads it and gets the help they need.