Suicide

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Opinion: It’s time to address mental health, suicide in heavy industry

May 17, 20273 min readBy James Donaldson

Trauma pervades all three industries.

Serious illness and death are a fact of life.

The fishing community is particularly tight knit.

The rapidly changing weather at sea has led to tragic outcomes, as it did twice in recent months, with the loss of the Lily Jean of Gloucester, and the sinking of the Yankee Rose off the coast of Provincetown.

A total of eight lives were tragically lost.

Several of the men interviewed spoke of how the grief from such loss never goes away and can lead to substance use.

At the same time, men reported a lack of resources to help them manage the grief.

The three heavy industries all come with an expectation that you must “tough it out,” no matter the challenges you might be facing personally.

More must be done to support all men working in heavy industry.

When workers do better, business does better.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

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James Donaldson

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James Donaldson is a former NBA All-Star (1988, Dallas Mavericks) who played 20 years of professional basketball with the Seattle SuperSonics, L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz, and teams across Europe, before touring with the Harlem Globetrotters. A Washington State University graduate inducted into both the Pac-10 and WSU Athletic Halls of Fame, James went on to found The Donaldson Clinic, an outpatient physical therapy practice he operated for nearly three decades. Today he devotes his time to mental health awareness and suicide prevention — speaking to organizations, schools, and youth groups — and is the author of Standing Above the Crowd and Celebrating Your Gift of Life (2021). James recently relocated to the Dallas, TX area and believes deeply in being a role model of success and professionalism for the young people he serves.

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James Donaldson on Mental Health - Opinion: It’s time to address mental health, suicide in heavy industry

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