[jonnyss]

The New York Times has an in-depth report on Kelly Catlin, the champion cyclist and Stanford grad student who recently died by suicide at age 23.

It turns out that Catlin had considerable self-awareness about her struggles. She also might be described as highly driven by a certain code that I'm guessing didn't exactly help her when she ran into unexpected troubles.

The article mostly gives only a glancing treatment to what seems to have been a lack of one-on-one time Catlin had with mental health professionals. I can only hope that others in a similar state as Catlin's get that push/drive to see a mental health professional. As much as times have changed for the better when it comes to people being more open about getting such help, it seems that Catlin saw her declining mental health as a personal failing.

Catlin told her sister, Christine, that seeking therapy meant she was weak and that she would rather suffer.   

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/sport..._th_190409

such a tragedy - and a complex and painful situation.

self-critical thoughts - e.g. that one is to blame, that one is a failure, that one needs to solve things without help - are a hallmark of depression and often disappear as the depression resolves.

the family reports that kelly did have one psychiatrist at stanford she trusted and wanted to see, but he was apparently booked for the next few months. i believe stanford instituted a policy a few years ago of trying to treat athletes in house rather than encourage them, as they encourage non-athlete students, to use their health insurance to see docs in the community. this can of course create problems if you don't have enough available docs that the patient likes.

lastly, the family believes she changed after one, perhaps 2, concussions. severe psychological problems are common after traumatic brain injury, and can be less responsive to both meds and therapy than similar illnesses without head injury.

[jonnyss]

The New York Times has an in-depth report on Kelly Catlin, the champion cyclist and Stanford grad student who recently died by suicide at age 23.

It turns out that Catlin had considerable self-awareness about her struggles. She also might be described as highly driven by a certain code that I'm guessing didn't exactly help her when she ran into unexpected troubles.

The article mostly gives only a glancing treatment to what seems to have been a lack of one-on-one time Catlin had with mental health professionals. I can only hope that others in a similar state as Catlin's get that push/drive to see a mental health professional. As much as times have changed for the better when it comes to people being more open about getting such help, it seems that Catlin saw her declining mental health as a personal failing.

Catlin told her sister, Christine, that seeking therapy meant she was weak and that she would rather suffer.   

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/sport..._th_190409

such a tragedy - and a complex and painful situation.

self-critical thoughts - e.g. that one is to blame, that one is a failure, that one needs to solve things without help - are a hallmark of depression and often disappear as the depression resolves.

the family reports that kelly did have one psychiatrist at stanford she trusted and wanted to see, but he was apparently booked for the next few months. i believe stanford instituted a policy a few years ago of trying to treat athletes in house rather than encourage them, as they encourage non-athlete students, to use their health insurance to see docs in the community. this can of course create problems if you don't have enough available docs that the patient likes.

lastly, the family believes she changed after one, perhaps 2, concussions. severe psychological problems are common after traumatic brain injury, and can be less responsive to both meds and therapy than similar illnesses without head injury.