Glenn maxwell takes indefinite break from cricket to deal with mental health issues

[OverratedSanity]

Glenn Maxwell will take a break from the game for mental health reasons, missing the upcoming T20Is at home against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Maxwell played the opening two matches of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, hitting 62 off 28 balls in the first fixture in Adelaide and not getting a chance to have a hit in the second, in Brisbane.

Team psychologist Dr Michael Lloyd said, "Glenn Maxwell has been experiencing some difficulties with regards to his mental health. As a result, he will spend a short time away from the game. Glenn was proactive in identifying these issues and engaging with support staff."

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27971825/glenn-maxwell-takes-indefinite-break-deal-difficulties-mental-health



Hope he gets better

 

[cnerd123]

Good move. Hope the time off does him some good. Health above all else.

 

[vcs]

Get well soon.

 

[duffer]

Take care Maxi. All the best

 

[NUFAN]

Indefinite sounds more dramatic than 'a short time away'.

Im undecided how transparent articles should be around mental health. I definitely dont think its embarassing or anything to be out for this reason but I dont know if everyone needs to know this is why he is out IF the break is actually short.

 

[NUFAN]

I probably should clarify some more.

Someone close to me has had pretty severe mental health issues so I feel like it sort of trivialises things if we see him hitting 6s in a fortnight. Like I hope he recovers completely and quickly, im just referring to the need of calling it mental health. I dunno, maybe more awareness is only a good thing.

 

[mr_mister]

It's tricky. It's a good thing to have mental health and physical health viewed similarly, it would lessen stigma. If it was a broken leg we'd expect full transparency. This is a damaged brain/mind that needs healing.

And if it was 4-5 games he took off without anything other than 'personal reasons' given to the public we'd jump to conclusions anyway

 

[mr_mister]

But I do get that once you admit to having mental health problems it can start to feel like everyone treats you that little bit differently. Personally I'd rather strangers not know if I was Maxi

 

[Gnske]

It'd be great if cricket was like any other job where you don't feel the pressure to owe an explanation to the world or feel the need to explain to everyone why you need time off with press releases and stuff. Where theres the pressure of a mob of frothing mongheads out to slaughter you if you don't explain every absence.

Besides the point, hope my bb Memeswell gets well. He deserves better than what cricket has offered him so far.

 

[jimmy101]

Looks like Maxi took the news to do with Shakib pretty hard then.

In all honesty, very sad to hear about Maxi's current state of affairs. Hope he makes a return sooner rather than later, one of my favourite ODI batsmen of modern times.

 

[Red]

I don't like treating psychologists making direct comments about a player. It seems very distasteful.

Surely the comments come from the media liaison person, because they're only being put out there to quell public and media speculation, anyway.

 

[Burgey]

Pretty confident he’d have had a fair input into the announcement tbh

 

[jcas0167]

Sir Richard Hadlee was unusual for his era in that he was quite open about his mental health issues. His book 'Hadlee At the Double" even had a chapter entitled "mental breakdown" disclosing his mental health issues before the 1983/84 season. He details how he worked with a psychologist Graham Felton and came back to do the 100 wicket/1000 run double then of course break the record for test wickets. Hopefully Maxwell can come back too.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I don't like treating psychologists making direct comments about a player. It seems very distasteful.

It's also illegal, unless everything was run through and signed off on by the player being treated

 

[andmark]

I hope he makes as a full a recovery as possible and can get back to a good frame of mind.

 

[silentstriker]

It's interesting (and fantastic) how quickly mental health issues have gone from being called 'weak' and the person being the subject of on and off the field sledging, to something people take seriously and have empathy for.

 

[Red]

Pretty confident he’d have had a fair input into the announcement tbh

No doubt, still seems distasteful. Even more so when he's referred to as the "Bupa Australian Cricket Team psychologist"

It's also illegal, unless everything was run through and signed off on by the player being treated

CA probably effectively own Maxwell, so it's probably ok for them to do anything they like.

It's interesting (and fantastic) how quickly mental health issues have gone from being called 'weak' and the person being the subject of on and off the field sledging, to something people take seriously and have empathy for.

It's so good. The last 15 years have seen a lot of stigma taken away around mental health, and it'll continue as ppl understand more and more about the causes of mental illness.

 

[TheJediBrah]

CA probably effectively own Maxwell, so it's probably ok for them to do anything they like.

yeah, no. Medical confidentialty doesn't work like that

 

[fredfertang]

Can't imagine spending a few weeks this summer in close proximity to Paul Allott helped him very much - trust now he's back in the sunshine he'll soon be fully restored to health

 

[mr_mister]

Ever heard of the summertime blues Fred?