Kossi's mental health battles

[saynta]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... dd210860fa



'Justin Koschitzke has revealed his feelings of loneliness and ‘self loathe’ he experienced during his AFL career. Now the former Saint hopes he can help others from hitting the same lows.
Ben Broad, Herald Sun
Subscriber only
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October 3, 2019 9:45am
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Former St Kilda star Justin Koschitzke has opened up on the mental health battle he faced during his AFL career, revealing the isolation, fear and “self loathe” he experienced during his playing days.

The forward was a fan favourite across 200 matches at the Saints, his likeable off-field nature complementing the on-field prowess that saw him selected with pick 2 in the 2000 national draft behind club legend Nick Riewoldt.

But behind that knockabout persona the man known as Kosi was waging a tough battle of which few were aware.

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“It’s not always what it seems from the outside,” Koschitzke said.

“Certainly for me, under the surface, there was a lot of other things bubbling away that made it really scary, lonely, isolating place to be at times.”

Now 37, Koschitzke said the stigma attached to mental health prevented him from confronting his issues but things got to a point where he had “no choice but to go and seek help” as he grappled with feelings of anxiety and low self worth.

“We had a sports psychologist (at St Kilda). I remember being encouraged to speak to him and I can distinctly remember him shutting the door and sitting down and trying to get into me to be mindful and aware at that time. I just told him to jam it,” Koschitzke recalled.


“It was just like, ‘Just tell me how to get a kick, mate. Tell me how to go out there and play footy and how to crash packs and do what I’m supposed to do — not be aware of my feelings and the state of my body and my environment’, which now is a really good tool.

“That’s something that I’ve worked on over a long time to feel really comfortable in myself.”

Koschitzke was speaking as part of an AFL Players Association’s Courageous Conversations campaign — run in partnership with Movember — which aims not only to reduce stigma but also and promote mental health literacy not only across the AFL but in the broader community.

His words come as clubs and the league acknowledge a growing number of mental health cases across the competition.

Earlier this year AFL chief Gillon McLachlan said mental health was the “No.1 issue” among playing groups, with the league appointed Dr Kate Hall as a designated head of mental health and wellbeing.

“I just wish at 18 there wasn’t a stigma (associated with mental health), that I had the tools to be vulnerable, to go forward, to have the courage to open up to somebody that I trusted and tell them how I’m feeling and go a little bit easier on myself and not be so critical and speak to myself in a damaging way,” Koschitzke said."

[Cordz2]

Can someone transcribe please

[skeptic]

Yeah I don’t know what the point of posting a link to a paid/subscription site is!

Certainly won’t be anything worth paying for

[The Fireman]

Yeah I don’t know what the point of posting a link to a paid/subscription site is!

Certainly won’t be anything worth paying for

maybe it's some sort of ploy to get us to subscribe..Saynta may be on a commission..otherwise why would Saynta do that ?

and this isnt the first time.

[Enrico_Misso]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

[Spinner]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

I suspect people suffered in silence.

But this is a clearly a provocative question (targeting a saints player no less) rather than honest query - something that is not unexpected from you.

Ignorance and stupidity seem to transcend the ages. Continue the good work.

[shrodes]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

Not diagnosed, not talked about in public and/or repressed.

It's great that people (particularly men) are feeling more comfortable to talk about their demons and normalise a damaging illness.

[The_Dud]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

I suspect people suffered in silence.

But this is a clearly a provocative question (targeting a saints player no less) rather than honest query - something that is not unexpected from you.

Ignorance and stupidity seem to transcend the ages. Continue the good work.

[Sainter_Dad]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

Same reason there has been an increase in diagnosed Autism - we are more proactive in reviewing issues - previously people with Autism were just called Unsociable <edited by mods> - now Unsociable <edited by mods> are called Autistic.

[chook23]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

Same reason there has been an increase in diagnosed Autism - we are more proactive in reviewing issues - previously people with Autism were just called Unsociable <edited by mods> - now Unsociable <edited by mods> are called Autistic.

I think Enrico it is not so much mental health in some cases....but we are now entering into generations that just are not as tough as years ago........

had too many things given to them on a platter

but there is a better understanding of real mental health issues....

[saynta]

Yeah I don’t know what the point of posting a link to a paid/subscription site is!

Certainly won’t be anything worth paying for

maybe it's some sort of ploy to get us to subscribe..Saynta may be on a commission..otherwise why would Saynta do that ?

and this isnt the first time.

Just got distracted is all.

[Spinner]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

Same reason there has been an increase in diagnosed Autism - we are more proactive in reviewing issues - previously people with Autism were just called Unsociable <edited by mods> - now Unsociable <edited by mods>are called Autistic.

Wow so you’re calling all people with autism just assholes?

I’m I reading this right?

Crawl back into your hole.

[The Fireman]

Yeah I don’t know what the point of posting a link to a paid/subscription site is!

Certainly won’t be anything worth paying for

maybe it's some sort of ploy to get us to subscribe..Saynta may be on a commission..otherwise why would Saynta do that ?

and this isnt the first time.

Just got distracted is all.

thanks for putting it up

[asiu]

i always thought the shrinks
murmured Artistic
the priests warbled Celebrate
and the Good Book instructed
go forth ‘n Consumate
‘n later in my edumacation
Avalon was have a bong



hmmmmm

luckily ,
in hindsight,
it seems i failed Propaganda 101



not for a second do i think SD was being disrespectful
more an accurate observation regarding past times

[Sainter_Dad]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

Same reason there has been an increase in diagnosed Autism - we are more proactive in reviewing issues - previously people with Autism were just called Unsociable <edited by mods> - now Unsociable <edited by mods>are called Autistic.

Wow so you’re calling all people with autism just assholes?

I’m I reading this right?

Crawl back into your hole.

Are you serious - please reread it!

Previously people who suffered from Autism got called Unsociable - without other people getting to know the person or the issue - they just got labelled
Now people who are genuinely just Unsociable use the excuse of being Autistic even when they are not. Like my ex-boss - a real one-way street kind of person - who now just says - "That's Ok - I am on the spectrum" excusing his behaviour.

Like if you sneeze you may have Hayfever - or you may just have caught a snoot full of dust - if you have Hayfever - generally you will sneeze.

You totally read my post wrong!!!!

not for a second do i think SD was being disrespectful
more an accurate observation regarding past times

And a comment on people who are "Unsociable" hijacking a genuine illness.

[StNoodles]

For those interested here is a video of Kosi on his battles

[st.byron]

Awesome. Every bloke that comes out with honesty about how they feel makes it easier for the next one.

[perfectionist]

It would be interesting to know whether Kosi experienced these feelings prior to 3pm on 6th May 2006.

Although he played some very good games in subsequent years, he was never the same player.

Depression and anxiety are all in the brain, a miss-balance of chemicals for a variety of reasons. ABI is one of them.

[minneapolis]

I was very concerned at the time when Kosi was really struggling that he may not survive.....

[saynta]

Yeah I don’t know what the point of posting a link to a paid/subscription site is!

Certainly won’t be anything worth paying for

maybe it's some sort of ploy to get us to subscribe..Saynta may be on a commission..otherwise why would Saynta do that ?

and this isnt the first time.

Just got distracted is all.

thanks for putting it up

[Saintmatt]

Why didn't players have mental health issues in the 20th century?

Really? Seriously ... such a poor question.

Didn't you hear Spud's lasting legacy message - "it used to be that to be a man was to suffer in silence; being a man now is to put your hand up".

Maybe have a spell for a bit

[shanegrambeau]

The question of whether people fit into a category of defined mental illness on a 0 or 1, or on the 'spectrum' or whether they can/should judge it for themselves, or trust others to judge it for them, will surely be one of the lasting legacies on the past few decades, and still has a way to go but the looks of it.
Using illness as an excuse might be a symptom of yet another illness which may again entail and excuse, and therefore we get into an endless loop.
I'm sure many of us qualify for several 'conditions' and yet if we seek help, we fall into the agenda of the 'specialist' about to 'help' us. If could be a shrink pushing pills, a soberfied counsellor pushing 12 steps and sobriety, various therapies form psychologists not licenced to dispence pills and recently, even vegans or other diet driven agendas.
How will we ever know? If we are just putting on a show or not? Even when we kill ourselves, which we seem to be doing quite frequently these days. I heard people refer to the greatest generation being the world war 2 vets, who "got on with life". And contrasted them to Vietnam vets with their bucketloads of mental problems. What does that mean? We are told to speak out, reach out and never suffer in silence...but we still must value stocism and we definitely do. I only post this because it seems to me that nobody knows anything...there are no solid bearings for ones compass at this point. Turn your head and the goal posts move. Perhaps, as religion gets reevaluated, some sense of 'normal madness' will reveal itself, and we will all somehow live with it in peace. Perhaps Saints supporters, know the folly of trying to mess with the irrational better than most! Go Kosi! Go Saints!

[saintspremiers]

EM was just fishing - steady on fellas.

Anyway re Kosi, we have the latest version still on our books: Paddy.

At least Paddy won’t play footy again and maybe will be able to lead a somewhat normal life