***BONUS EPISODE*** Shawne Merriman wanted to elaborate on his social media post about mental health. Shawne has continued to talk about the mental health issues of athletes on and off the field. In this episode, Merriman explains how he grew up and how his mental health shaped his life.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Are you ready for this? Sean Merriman A one A
hand effect. Boom boom boom, out go the light. This
is lights out with Sean Merriman. For first off, I
want to address a couple of things. UM. One, this
morning I tweeted about, UM, you know that mental health
(00:22):
is important and also a mental toughness is important. UM
me personally, I want to just clarify something here and
what I said. I want to really dig deep into
exactly what the meaning of that was and what I said. Okay,
first of all, if you look at any of my
past talks or um, anywhere I've been publicly speaking about
mental mental health and how important that is to take
(00:45):
care of it. Um, because I can tell you where
I come from. Um, it wasn't taught. It was uh,
you know, something that wasn't really discussed to talk about,
mainly because you're a man, right um, and we're told
not to cry, not to have emotion, suck it up,
you know, one of those get back in the game
type of attitudes. And that's how I grew up. But
later on I completely saw things different as I saw
(01:08):
how important mental health was two people. Um. And this
is coming from somebody that, Yeah, I grew up homeless,
all right. I've slept in cars, I've slept in shelters, um,
and I've you know, had some very unfortunate things happened
to me. And that especially when those things happened to
you as a kid, it stays with you for a
very long time. And that's why I've always priested about
(01:31):
mental health being important. And that's number one. That's why
I started that tweet off by saying mental health is
important because it is. We don't talk about it enough,
and especially when you're talking about athletes, and especially when
you're talking about a man athlete, you know, the males,
because we aren't um. We aren't accustomed to talking about
our problems and things that we're struggling with. UM. And
(01:53):
you know, as a man, you always told to you know,
those things a weak and soft and you're not supposed
to be that way. And I don't. I don't believe
that at all. Uh. The second part of that, I said,
it's mental toughness, you know. As I told you guys
just now, I grew up and had some very unfortunate
things around me, and so did a lot of people
where I came from, and Prince George's County, Maryland, Washington
d C. Area. UM went through some terrible things growing up,
(02:16):
and there was times where I had to be mentally
tough and if I didn't, I wouldn't have made it
out them out of those circumstances. And so that's why
I wanted to really get that across and explain because
you know, people are taking the first part of that, uh,
actually the second part of that, not looking at the
first the first part of that. I said, mental health
is extremely important and it's something that we don't talk
(02:39):
about nothing, and I'm glad people are talking about it.
But on the flip side, also what's going on And
I've just had this happened to UM someone who was
having a bad week or bad you know, I had
had a bad week, and I said, a friend of
mine said, why why are you having a bad week?
You know, they lost their keys and cars didn't start. UM,
(02:59):
they had a couple of bad phone calls, he had
a headache and things like that, and it was it
was like, uh, he was complaining about I'm sorry she
was complaining about the mental health aspect of everything that
was going on. And you know, I kindly reminded her,
this has been a friend of seven you almost seventeen years.
I said, hey, somebody, somebody didn't eat today. Somebody was
(03:21):
gonna go home today and there's going to be an
eviction notice on their door, as I experienced when I
was a kid, someone that right now is getting bullied
to beat up, and you're sitting here and talking about
mental health because you had a bad week. Let's guys,
let's let's start separating the two and what we're talking
about here. And no matter what situational circumstances I'm going
(03:45):
through personally in my life, I always know and and
have known that there are people out here is going
through things it's ten times worse as as I'm going through,
And so I don't complain. Yes, unfortunately things happened and
happened to some very good people. But at the same time,
I'm not going to sit here and because I'm going
through a couple of things and screaming and yell mental
(04:07):
health when I have to just toughen up and get
through it, because there are a lot of bad things
happening to people are here far worse than my position,
And I always keep that in the back of my head.
So when I talk about, you know, mental health, and
I talk about being tough, these are this is the difference.
And I want for me personally, I wanted to clarify
(04:28):
that because a lot of people are are using the
smaller things. Now. I don't know what Simone Biles actually
the statement wasn't directly uh targeted at Simone Biles at all.
It's more a blanket statement of people using mental health
as an escapego for going through something that is just tough.
Life is tough. Unfortunate things happen to people, and those
(04:51):
things happen, and not everything is a mental health issue
just because you have a bad day or bad week
or bad month, Okay, because remember there's people out here
that's going through things ten times it's worse than you,
and half the time you don't even know what it
is because they might be walking around with a smile
when they face So I don't know exactly what some
(05:12):
own boss. Obviously she's she's dealing with a lot of
things behind the scenes that we don't know about, maybe
even more than she's even talking about. She's in a
highly pressured industry where the world is looking at her
and and and um and expecting great things about her. Hell,
I mean, that's a lot of pressure for any I
don't get who you are. That's a lot of pressure
(05:32):
to deal with. And so if she had to step away,
good for her. Get get yourself together, do what's best
for you. So what my whole thing of this mental
health is people using it as an escapego instead of
being tough. And I'm not talking about physically tough, tough enough,
suck it up. I'm talking about find a way all
(05:54):
right and realize that that's there's things going on with
people are here that are ten times worth ears than
what you're going through in your position. So when I
when I talk about the two, just know that that's
what it is. It's not coming from anywhere else, you know.
And I'll be the first one to tell you that
mental health is extremely important. And I've taken necessary steps
(06:14):
with myself, you know, got into you know, meditating and
doing high yoga and and just taking better care mentally
of my of myself and also trying to help other
people do the same thing around me. Who's not big
into that that side of of being healthy mentally. So
when I see people are frustrated and mad and more
triggered than anything else that I don't care about that part.
(06:36):
The part that that that I'm trying to get trying
to get people to understand is that there's things going
on in people's lives. There's are ten times worse and
every single thing that happens to you bad in life
is not a mental health issue, and don't use it
as such. So you know, anyone out there is dealing
with something mentally um and and trying to find out
(06:58):
find a way is living in a dark um you know,
just a dark cloud over you and just have a
dark party of life happening right now. I hope that
you find a way to get through it and it
will get better. It's always light at the end of
the tunnel. Just remember that. But the other side, the
people who are using mental health to uh for sympathy
(07:18):
or using mental health to uh you know, because you're
you're going through a rough moment. Just let's let's start
separating the difference, man, because there's people out here is
really dealing with things, there's really going through it and
really need help. So let's support those people that really
need it and and and and not jump on anybody
that have a different opinion than you have. So I
(07:40):
just wanted to clarify that. UM. You know, I love
going back and forth good or bad, what what people
um and especially other teams fans on social media because
I really do take pleasure in that. But also we
are entitled to our opinion and nobody's opinion is wrong.
Definitely not mine and definitely not anyone else's. UM. And
so like I said, if you're going through something, man,
(08:02):
find help, lean on the people around you. UM. But
there's light at the end of the tunnel, You'll be okay.
Thanks guys, listening to another lights Out podcast for me
Sean Raymond, and uh, thank you all for listening to
and understanding, because that's that's what the thing is about me.
We we all, we all have our opinions, we all
feel a certain way and the reason why we feel
(08:22):
a certain way about things is because people go through
different things in life. So I can't say what that,
what trick is that person over here, what bothers that
person or whatever? We all dealt with it. But glad
to have a conversation with you guys, and we'll have
another lights Out podcast me Sean Raymond next week.
Are you ready for this? Sean Merriman A one A
hand effect. Boom boom boom, out go the light. This
is lights out with Sean Merriman. For first off, I
want to address a couple of things. UM. One, this
morning I tweeted about, UM, you know that mental health
(00:22):
is important and also a mental toughness is important. UM
me personally, I want to just clarify something here and
what I said. I want to really dig deep into
exactly what the meaning of that was and what I said. Okay,
first of all, if you look at any of my
past talks or um, anywhere I've been publicly speaking about
mental mental health and how important that is to take
(00:45):
care of it. Um, because I can tell you where
I come from. Um, it wasn't taught. It was uh,
you know, something that wasn't really discussed to talk about,
mainly because you're a man, right um, and we're told
not to cry, not to have emotion, suck it up,
you know, one of those get back in the game
type of attitudes. And that's how I grew up. But
later on I completely saw things different as I saw
(01:08):
how important mental health was two people. Um. And this
is coming from somebody that, Yeah, I grew up homeless,
all right. I've slept in cars, I've slept in shelters, um,
and I've you know, had some very unfortunate things happened
to me. And that especially when those things happened to
you as a kid, it stays with you for a
very long time. And that's why I've always priested about
(01:31):
mental health being important. And that's number one. That's why
I started that tweet off by saying mental health is
important because it is. We don't talk about it enough,
and especially when you're talking about athletes, and especially when
you're talking about a man athlete, you know, the males,
because we aren't um. We aren't accustomed to talking about
our problems and things that we're struggling with. UM. And
(01:53):
you know, as a man, you always told to you know,
those things a weak and soft and you're not supposed
to be that way. And I don't. I don't believe
that at all. Uh. The second part of that, I said,
it's mental toughness, you know. As I told you guys
just now, I grew up and had some very unfortunate
things around me, and so did a lot of people
where I came from, and Prince George's County, Maryland, Washington
d C. Area. UM went through some terrible things growing up,
(02:16):
and there was times where I had to be mentally
tough and if I didn't, I wouldn't have made it
out them out of those circumstances. And so that's why
I wanted to really get that across and explain because
you know, people are taking the first part of that, uh,
actually the second part of that, not looking at the
first the first part of that. I said, mental health
is extremely important and it's something that we don't talk
(02:39):
about nothing, and I'm glad people are talking about it.
But on the flip side, also what's going on And
I've just had this happened to UM someone who was
having a bad week or bad you know, I had
had a bad week, and I said, a friend of
mine said, why why are you having a bad week?
You know, they lost their keys and cars didn't start. UM,
(02:59):
they had a couple of bad phone calls, he had
a headache and things like that, and it was it
was like, uh, he was complaining about I'm sorry she
was complaining about the mental health aspect of everything that
was going on. And you know, I kindly reminded her,
this has been a friend of seven you almost seventeen years.
I said, hey, somebody, somebody didn't eat today. Somebody was
(03:21):
gonna go home today and there's going to be an
eviction notice on their door, as I experienced when I
was a kid, someone that right now is getting bullied
to beat up, and you're sitting here and talking about
mental health because you had a bad week. Let's guys,
let's let's start separating the two and what we're talking
about here. And no matter what situational circumstances I'm going
(03:45):
through personally in my life, I always know and and
have known that there are people out here is going
through things it's ten times worse as as I'm going through,
And so I don't complain. Yes, unfortunately things happened and
happened to some very good people. But at the same time,
I'm not going to sit here and because I'm going
through a couple of things and screaming and yell mental
(04:07):
health when I have to just toughen up and get
through it, because there are a lot of bad things
happening to people are here far worse than my position,
And I always keep that in the back of my head.
So when I talk about, you know, mental health, and
I talk about being tough, these are this is the difference.
And I want for me personally, I wanted to clarify
(04:28):
that because a lot of people are are using the
smaller things. Now. I don't know what Simone Biles actually
the statement wasn't directly uh targeted at Simone Biles at all.
It's more a blanket statement of people using mental health
as an escapego for going through something that is just tough.
Life is tough. Unfortunate things happen to people, and those
(04:51):
things happen, and not everything is a mental health issue
just because you have a bad day or bad week
or bad month, Okay, because remember there's people out here
that's going through things ten times it's worse than you,
and half the time you don't even know what it
is because they might be walking around with a smile
when they face So I don't know exactly what some
(05:12):
own boss. Obviously she's she's dealing with a lot of
things behind the scenes that we don't know about, maybe
even more than she's even talking about. She's in a
highly pressured industry where the world is looking at her
and and and um and expecting great things about her. Hell,
I mean, that's a lot of pressure for any I
don't get who you are. That's a lot of pressure
(05:32):
to deal with. And so if she had to step away,
good for her. Get get yourself together, do what's best
for you. So what my whole thing of this mental
health is people using it as an escapego instead of
being tough. And I'm not talking about physically tough, tough enough,
suck it up. I'm talking about find a way all
(05:54):
right and realize that that's there's things going on with
people are here that are ten times worth ears than
what you're going through in your position. So when I
when I talk about the two, just know that that's
what it is. It's not coming from anywhere else, you know.
And I'll be the first one to tell you that
mental health is extremely important. And I've taken necessary steps
(06:14):
with myself, you know, got into you know, meditating and
doing high yoga and and just taking better care mentally
of my of myself and also trying to help other
people do the same thing around me. Who's not big
into that that side of of being healthy mentally. So
when I see people are frustrated and mad and more
triggered than anything else that I don't care about that part.
(06:36):
The part that that that I'm trying to get trying
to get people to understand is that there's things going
on in people's lives. There's are ten times worse and
every single thing that happens to you bad in life
is not a mental health issue, and don't use it
as such. So you know, anyone out there is dealing
with something mentally um and and trying to find out
(06:58):
find a way is living in a dark um you know,
just a dark cloud over you and just have a
dark party of life happening right now. I hope that
you find a way to get through it and it
will get better. It's always light at the end of
the tunnel. Just remember that. But the other side, the
people who are using mental health to uh for sympathy
(07:18):
or using mental health to uh you know, because you're
you're going through a rough moment. Just let's let's start
separating the difference, man, because there's people out here is
really dealing with things, there's really going through it and
really need help. So let's support those people that really
need it and and and and not jump on anybody
that have a different opinion than you have. So I
(07:40):
just wanted to clarify that. UM. You know, I love
going back and forth good or bad, what what people
um and especially other teams fans on social media because
I really do take pleasure in that. But also we
are entitled to our opinion and nobody's opinion is wrong.
Definitely not mine and definitely not anyone else's. UM. And
so like I said, if you're going through something, man,
(08:02):
find help, lean on the people around you. UM. But
there's light at the end of the tunnel, You'll be okay.
Thanks guys, listening to another lights Out podcast for me
Sean Raymond, and uh, thank you all for listening to
and understanding, because that's that's what the thing is about me.
We we all, we all have our opinions, we all
feel a certain way and the reason why we feel
(08:22):
a certain way about things is because people go through
different things in life. So I can't say what that,
what trick is that person over here, what bothers that
person or whatever? We all dealt with it. But glad
to have a conversation with you guys, and we'll have
another lights Out podcast me Sean Raymond next week.
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