Depression is an illness that can afflict anyone. Rich, poor, famous or unknown, the mental health issue can take hold in all walks of life, even in professional hockey. “It’s across the board,” said Jude Platzer, founder of the Vancouver-based Josh Platzer Society for Teen Suicide Prevention and Awareness. “It’s there. You’d be amazed how many people are affected by this, millions around the world.”
Platzer’s son Josh was one of those people. He took his own life 12 years ago when those around him failed to see the warning signs, or were too afraid and uncomfortable to ask him about it. The late Rick Rypien, the former Vancouver Canuck who died suddenly in his Alberta home this week, was another whose person issues were believed to be linked to depression. Although Rypien received help from the organization, teammates, family and friends, Platzer knows what the fan-favourite hockey player was going through. “When you’re in that place, you can’t see the woods in the trees, can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
By all accounts, Rypien was doing well in his battle before his death. What matters most, according to Platzer, is for society to shed the stigma attached to depression. “People just don’t know about depression and how to deal with it,” she said. “We have to get rid of this taboo.”