For all the perception of glamour that one has regarding a cricketer's life, there is a darker side to it. Of that of depression. Some suffer from it silently, while a few come out in the open to share their experiences with other. And help others cope with it. Robin Uthappa, member of India's 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team, is one of those individuals who has been inspirational when it comes to motivating others and help them take care of mental health.
Uthappa, who has played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is, has in the past showed a lot of courage in speaking about his own clinical depression and how he came out of it. He has now made a detailed video, citing examples of cricketers who underwent the same thing.
"We are going to be talking about depression and suicide. We recently heard about Graham Thorpe and David Johnson from India. VB Chandra Sekhar sir who was the rock of CSK. I have been there as well. It's not a pretty journey. It's debilitating. You feel like you are burden to people you love . It's challenging. You feel like you are worth less," Robin Uthappa said in a video.
"In 2011, I was so ashamed of who I became as a human being. It's absolutely ok to not know what you have to do next. Sometimes existing for that one day, is what you have to do next. Often you don't need light at the end of the tunnel. You need the light only till the next step.
"We have heard about multiple people, who have ended their lives due to depression. I perosnaly have been their as well. It's heavy, that's how it feels. I have often felt when I was going through clinical depression, to be burden. I was seeking answers."