It was an honor catching up with former NHL player Mike Brodeur to discuss his mental health journey.  This is a topic we both are very passionate about and both have a mission to break down the stigma and help people achieve their best life.

I got to know Mike and his amazing wife Melissa, during their time in Binghamton when Mike was playing in the Ottawa Senators club.  I have many found memories of hockey nights and more importantly how willing these two were to help out a community and build such great bonds, knowing it was a temporary home.

Mike had a successful hockey career and was an amazing hockey player, but after three major surgeries and concussions, he had to decide what was most important to him in life.  He and his wife had just had their first kid and he decided to hang up his skates.  Hockey was what Mike knew, and hanging up his skates made him lose his purpose.  His anxiety, depression and pain were very real and he could not figure out why he felt the way he did.  This affected his relationship with his family, so he tried the traditional route and went to his doctor who put him on prescription medication.  Mike says they just made him feel numb, he couldn't function properly and had no energy to chase his son around. 

If anyone else other than Mike had described this, I wouldn't believe it was the same person.  That is the funny thing about mental health.  Sometimes it creeps up on us, sometimes it's a result of trauma, sometimes it is the result of losing what we have identified as our purpose, and most the time we don't know how to take the steps to get better.

After lots of research and experimenting, Mike found psilocybin to be something that worked and helped heal him.  There is a lot of research on this subject already and even more coming out showing physical healing of the brain and helping people through trauma.  Mike has teamed up with MindfulMeds to help educate people on the benefits of psilocybin along with other plant medicines and inspires others to take care of their mental health.

I look at Mike as an up and coming mental health ambassador.  This is a topic and area that there is still so much silence around, especially in young-adult males.  I am grateful to Mike for being willing to share his story and inspiring others to get help, in whatever way or form works for them.

Please take the time to check Mike out on instagram @mike_brodeur and also be sure to check out MindfulMeds.  They have a number of great products.

Please remember if you are struggling with your mental health, there are people to help.
US Nation Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 
Canada Suicide Prevention Service line: 1-833-456-4566

It does get better.