NEWS ALERT
“Executive Producer and Film Director Susan Sember of Beyond the Game Film and Dr. Denise McDermott launched their collaborative Mental Health Awareness Initiative during the NBA Summer Games.” ~Journalist Cathleen O’toole
Listen to the interview:
https://media.blubrry.com/thedrdeniseshow/content.blubrry.com/thedrdeniseshow/recording-1_postproductions_2019-07-17-t11-22-21am-final-mix_1_.mp3 Dr. Denise Podcast Guest Commentary
Teaming Up: A Filmmaker and Psychiatrist Tackle Mental Wellness in Sports
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has stated that “We are living in an age of anxiety” and that many NBA players are “truly unhappy.” He has further commented that this isn’t a “basketball issue but rather a societal issue.” As a filmmaker, I believe sports is one of the best platforms for sharing stories that are easily translatable, as well as, mirrors of what is transpiring in our culture, at large. Athletes, as leaders, are additionally great messengers for change.
While interviewing and filming over 150 athletes and others for my documentary, “Beyond the Game”, I found it noteworthy that, although not a “mental health film”, there were aspects of every athlete’s interview that had some type of mental health component to them. Whether it was fraud or a bad business investment, social media, training and performance, physical injury, image and personal branding, family dynamics, first generation of success pressures, the transitions from high school sports to college to the pros and then subsequent retirement from a sport-the interviewees referenced some type of anxiety, depression, shame, mindset, relationship challenge or another that tied into mental health. These weren’t tales of doom and gloom but rather ones of victory, leadership, positivity, and overcoming adversity with resiliency. I found the athletes’ interviews to be insightful, destigmatizing, humanizing and relatable. The peer to peer messaging has already and will continue, undoubtedly, to provide information, mentorship, guidance and support.
Having met Dr. Denise McDermott, I found an ally with a shared mission in making sports better for all phases of an athlete’s life, a passion for mental wellness and another media collaborator committed to using her platform to make a difference. Hence, why Dr. Denise and I teamed up at the recent NBA Summer Games to launch a joint mental health awareness initiative, while also promoting the “Beyond the Game” film and its release. In distributing a “Beyond the Game” special edition magazine regarding this initiative, as well as presenting to rookies, retired players and sports influencers, we were joined by others excited to unite in this purpose.
We encourage our audiences to join us, along with other ambassadors of change, in an open dialogue, changing the way we think, talk and act about mental health.
For more information about the documentary, “Beyond the Game”, please visit https://www.beyondthegamefilm.com
~Susan Sember
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