Titus Young has made headlines for all the wrong reasons during the NFL offseason, and has been the subject of several one-liners and clever headlines – including from yours truly.
But Young may not be categorized as simply another selfish, young, rich athlete who can't get out of his own way. According to his father, Young has a mental illness that was exacerbated by a concussion he suffered during his rookie year. Recently he has been off his meds and failing to fall the treatment plan.
Brandon Marshall – categorized in a similar vein as Young for his outlandish behavior – tried to reach out to Young to help him with his illness. Marshall says he, too, suffered from a condition and understands how difficult it can to overcome.
“He needs to get the right treatment plan,” Marshall told ProFootballTalk.com. “I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder a few years and got the right help, the right treatment, and now I’m advocating for it. Mental health in itself is just so stigmatized, it’s a taboo topic in our homes, in our communities, and we need more people to talk about it and not make Titus Young or people like myself or others who can’t fight for themselves a national punchline.”
Royce White of the Houston Rockets has been another advocate for better care for the mentally ill as well as removing the stigma from discussing it.
Though that is a work in progress of a much bigger picture, Young has to get help soon before he falls too far.
