***If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
If you are not in crisis but are having thoughts of suicide, please call or text the Lifeline.
If you are in a life-threatening situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.***
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental illness. I am one of them; I have been battling bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder my whole adult life. Sometimes ultimate has been a saving grace, a safe space for me when the rest of my world was backwards. Other times ultimate has been an added stressor, destabilizing my already uneven footing.
I am passionate about mental health advocacy. To that end, a portion of proceeds from individual player and individual coach services I provide will go to mental health organizations.
If you know someone with a mental illness, it’s so important to educate yourself so you can be the kind of support your loved one needs.
If you battle a mental illness, you are not alone. Seek support, both from those close to you and from mental health care professionals.
On this page, you can find resources to treat mental illness and mental health stories from people in the ultimate community, including my own.
Your Mental Health Matters.
Learn more.
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You don’t have to combat mental illness alone. Mental health professionals can help to give you the care you need.
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Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Chat online with the 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineLearn more about mental illnesses
What kinds of mental health treatments are out there?
What is therapy and what does it do?
What role can medication play in treating mental illness?Find health care or support for mental health, drugs or alcohol
How to pay for treatment
Waiting for treatment? How to cope
Self-help resources for mental health problems***
Mental health in sports is its own challenge. Here are over two dozen free trainings for players, coaches and parents, whether you are dealing with mental health concerns yourself, or if it’s someone on your team.
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Being a support for someone who is navigating mental health issues is important, and not without its challenges. Proactively learn what the best ways to support someone are, and find space for boundaries for yourself.
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How to talk to someone about getting help
When helping someone, take care of yourself***
Mental health in sports is its own challenge. Here are over two dozen free trainings for players, coaches and parents, whether you are dealing with mental health concerns yourself, or if it’s someone on your team.
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The following stories are shared with permission from the authors.
“You Think You Know Me, But You Don’t”
by Ari Nelson“It’s Not My Fault, But It Is My Responsibility”
by Domenica Sutherland“Mental Health In Ultimate: How Ultimate Figuratively Then Literally Saved My Life”
by Ben Banyas***
Each year on November 20, I write a Facebook post about my journey with bipolar and anxiety over the last year, and about the place of mental health awareness in our society. The hope is two-fold: I want to educate people about mental illness in order to break the stigma surrounding it, and I want to let people know they are not alone. This is this year’s; you can find the posts from every year gone by in the body of this post:
“2024 Day of Life”
by Charlie Hoppes
Less than three months after I helped lead the New York Empire to a second straight undefeated season and UFA championship, I left the team to focus on treating my mental health, which was worsening at the time.
I dearly miss coaching high-level ultimate, but I will never regret putting my mental health first.
PLEASE NOTE:
The content and resources provided on this page are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I am not a licensed mental health care professional, and mental health care is not a part of the services I offer through CHUCC. The stories and resources shared here are not intended to offer medical advice or therapy. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or otherwise need professional support, please seek guidance from a qualified mental health care professional, counselor, or therapist.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
If you are not in crisis but are having thoughts of suicide, please call or text the Lifeline.
If you are in a life-threatening situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.