A former Texas Ranger is working with the Grant Halliburton Foundation to try to reduce suicide. Drew Robinson played for the Rangers in 2017 and 2018. He then played for the Saint Louis Cardinals in 2019.
In 2020, he attempted suicide.
"To be honest, for me, it was a culmination of a lot of neglected emotions and feelings I had throughout my life, as a kid, as a baseball player, as a man," he says. "Looking back now, I was doing it to myself, unknowingly, it became a weight I was carrying around."
Robinson survived and now works for the San Francisco Giants to advocate for players' mental health.
"Have the guts I didn't have to ask for help, to ask why this is happening, to explore your feelings and emotions you're feeling instead of trying to sweep them under the rug will help you live a more fulfilling life," he says.
Robinson says each person's feelings will be different, so a blanket approach will not be successful, but he says peer-to-peer connections or talking with family and friends who show empathy can show people they are not alone.
"It's normal to feel off sometimes. It's normal to not be at your best every second of every day, so when those days happen, being able to take inventory and know when you need help or can get through it yourself is a superpower," he says.
In turn, Robinson says giving someone space can help them realize what they are feeling.
"At any moment, someone can be at their metaphorical edge, and the last thing they need is a push," he says. "Sometimes, it's about a hug, it's about pulling them back and letting them just get things off their chest. It's noble to try to grind your way through things. It's useful in a lot of areas of life, but sometimes that edge can be more near than we realize, so offering some love, some grace, some non-judgmental feelings can go a long way."
The Grant Halliburton Foundation held its 16th annual "Beacon of Hope" luncheon Tuesday. The foundation was launched in 2006 by the family of a teenager in Dallas who committed suicide.
President Kevin Hall says the foundation works to help kids recognize signs of depression in each other and parents to see signs in their kids.
"It's something we can all work together to make things better, but it starts with education," he says.
Hall says the organization has trained 350,000 people in mental health awareness.
"It's like any other disease," he says. "The sooner we can identify and begin to treat, the better chance we have of success."
More information about the Grant Halliburton Foundation is available here.
The organization also helps connect people with mental health resources.
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