"Mental illness is a stigma that, right or wrong, never leaves a person. "

Sounds like thinking from the dark ages. First of all no one knows what the reason is for his absence. And if it is mental then your post is a prime example of why he and those close to him might want to keep it private.

At bottom is the fact that no one knows what's going on and for some of us that is perfectly fine. For others there is the demand to know otherwise they will always think what they consider the worst.

BTW: as we all know there is mental illness and then there is mental illness. There's long term illnesses and short term episodes. An anxiety disorder is the most common form of a "mental illness" and 30% of our population experience it either long term or episodic. Most educated adults today don't look upon it as "a stigma that, right or wrong, that never leaves a person".

I assure you there is not one person on this board who will be affected by whatever the reason is for his absence. I say we leave it and respect his, his close family, and the Ram organization's wish to keep it quiet. I think they-not we-know what's best for the kid.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2024 04:15PM by waterfield.