Palm Beach County man hopeful after hearing about NFL star's struggle with anxiety

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened conversations around mental health.

OPENED DAK PRESCOTT, OPENED UPABOUT HIS STRUGGLES WITHANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AFTERHIS BROTHERNEWS CHANNEL FIVES SABIRAHRAYFORD EXPLAINS HOW HIS WORDSCOULD SAVE LIVESFOR JORDAN SMITH, THE JOURNEYTO MENTAL WELL-BEING WASNEASY.“JUST ISSUES IN MY LIFEI HADNTIME IT JUST FELT ISOLATING,IT FELT LONELY AND STRUGGLINGTO GET UP IN THE MORNING”SMITH SAYS THOSE FEELINGSSTARTED IN HIS TEENS AND WHENTHEY DIDNSTARTED USING ALCOHOL TO COPE.“JUST KIND OF SUPPRESSING IT,ITFRIEND WHO DID A MINIINTERVENTION AND SHOWED METHAT THE OTHER WAY WASPOSSIBLE” NOW, SMITH IS FOURYEARS SOBER.

THE COVID-19PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT BACKFEELINGS OF ISOLATION.HOWEVER, HE SAYS HEARING NFLSTAR DAK PRESCOTT SPEAK SOCANDIDLY ABOUT HIS OWN BATTLEWITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETYLENDS HOPE.“SO I GREW UP INSCOTLAND AND I PLAYED A LOT OFRUGBY AND RUGBY IS KIND OFSIMILAR TO FOOTBALL WHERE IT'SNO WEAKNESS, SO I THINK GUYSLIKE THATTAKING THAT STEP”“THIS WILHAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ONTHE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESSAND ON PEOPLE THAT ARESTRUGGLING” LICENSEDPSYCHOLOGIST DR. RACHEL NEEDLESAYS SHE HOPES PRESCOTTSTORY SHOWS THAT ANYONE CANSTRUGGLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH.“IT SHOWS US THAT THERE AREALSO PEOPLE THAT TRULY BELIEVEWE NEED MORE AWARENESS, AND WENEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT THISMORE.

THERE IS NO SHAME INTALKING ABOUT THIS” REPORTINGIN PALM BEACH COUNTY, SABIRAHRAYFORD, WPTV NEWS CHANNEL5.THERE'S MORE EVIDENCE TODAY