89. AFL, bulimia and psychedelics with Brock McLean

Trigger warning: depression, bulimia and eating disorders

Welcome to Episode 89 - AFL and psychedelics with Brock McLean

 

The world of elite sports can be damaging for both the physical and mental health of the athletes who participate in it.

The pressure, risk of losing your spot and constant competitive nature can lead to some drastic effects.

That’s why I’m very excited to be talking to Brock McLean for this episode. As a former football player for both the Melbourne Football Club and Carlton in the AFL, he will be giving us a behind the scenes picture of the journey to, during and after a career in elite sports.

 

In this episode Brock shares:

-      His experience with early fatherhood

-      What he did to help out his wife in the early stages of parenthood

-      His early life in a blue collar family and what his journey into football looked like

-      How a coach’s request made him obsessed with food and started weighing everything and purging food at night.

-      The way he handled/recognised his bulimia

-      What the mental health support system is like in football clubs

-      The reason it is so important players take a break for their mental health to normalise the process for others

-      His belief that psychiatric facilities and the people who go through them are horribly misunderstood and stigmatised

-      How being delisted influenced his mental health and how he handled it.

-      The difference between self-esteem and self-worth

-      His experience with researching using psychedelics to help improve mental health.

 

Key quotes:

 

“Anyone who’s been in that situation (unhappiness) knows that no matter how many times you change your environment, that unhappiness follows you.”

 

“It’s not the emotions, it’s not the feelings that’s the issue… it’s what we do to try and avoid those emotions or suppress those emotions.”

 

“Some of the most amazing people and unfortunately troubled people I’ve ever met in my life have been in psychiatric clinics.”

 

More about Brock

 

You can follow Brock on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brock-mclean-04aa791b9/

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***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Cheers, Simon