January 18, 2007
No Use For A Headline On This One
This is the kind of story you see once in never. In November, former Philadelphia Eagles safety Andre Waters killed himself after grappling with depression for a few years. A pathologist in Pittsburgh examined Waters' brain and came away saying that Waters' depression and suicide were likely the result of years of concussions suffered while playing football. Waters was a bad ass safety. His death was just bad. I doubt that there are an amazing breakthrough realizations here, but the whole scenario is fascinating in a scientific way and discouraging in a human way.
The article is amazing. A must read, regardless of your feelings about football.
Posted by Philip Dawdy at January 18, 2007 12:01 AM
del.icio.us
Digg it
reddit
What a compelling article.
While I have absolutely no doubt that repeated concussions and brain trauma cause depression, I still would have like a little insight into how this poor fellow was "treated" because there are some physicians and scientists, including Joseph Glenmullen and Grace Jackson, who believe antidepressants (and other psych meds) accelerate dementia and brain damage. Just which meds and how much was this guy getting in the last years of his life? There's not even a nod to treatment in the article -- just a statement he "suffered from depression." That surely means he was getting something.
"..who believe antidepressants (and other psych meds) accelerate dementia and brain damage."
I totally believe this.
