I'm currently working on a companion piece titled: "Top 10 photos of Andrew MacDonald not being Andrew MacDonald from the 2016-2017 season."

Just really heroic shots of AMac doing great things from last season. A certain someone will enjoy it. Problem though is I've only found 2 photos. I'm going to have to settle on great shots of Provorov with AMac somewhere in the frame, probably obscured.
- Mononoke

You seem to have an addiction that you should seek help for. At least it's somewhat hockey related.

Some of the subject matter discussed on this thread at times is inappropriate. Not the place for it. It's too personal for many.

he didn't kill himself over an addiction. He hung himself cause he was depressed his entire life. He hung himself on his good friends birthday. plus he was sexually abused as a kid.

STFU
- Flyers Time

Thank you
Depression is a brutal disease, and no one should make light of it

If anyone is ever feeling like they are truly in despair or that there is no way out please reach out to somebody. We like to have fun on here but not at the expense of anybody's mental health.
- Mordecai

This

That's ok because sometimes I get pissed I did

I'm with you though, and honestly my dream job was to be a trainer for pro sports team and graduate with a doctorate in physical therapy. But I went with pharmacy because I had more options and it was more cost effective. Basically I figured I'd either be hyper-focused on being a sports trainer or have a bunch of clinical pharmacy options. I went with the latter, being more realistic. Not saying I regret it, but that was a tough decision for me.
- Giroux_Is_God

My sisters and wife are all in the medical field so I am exposed to it a lot. I pick a lot up from it, but I think it's very cool to know something so relevant. My kids pediatrician had a roofing company and gave it up to go to medical school. ThouGht that was cool

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Until you get your head out of your ass, don't comment on something you haven't begun to comprehend. Your lack of knowledge, understanding, and compassion are gobsmacking. And your takes are seriously irresponsible.

And if anyone here knows someone they think may be suffering from depression, reach out to them. Sometimes you can be in so deep you can't imagine reaching out yourself, even to a hotline. Having someone say, I see you suffering, let me help you get help can save a life.
- bodiva88

Couldn't have said it better, Bo!

You seem to have an addiction that you should seek help for. At least it's somewhat hockey related.

Some of the subject matter discussed on this thread at times is inappropriate. Not the place for it. It's too personal for many.
- MJL

Shut up. Do us that favor.

That's ok because sometimes I get pissed I did

I'm with you though, and honestly my dream job was to be a trainer for pro sports team and graduate with a doctorate in physical therapy. But I went with pharmacy because I had more options and it was more cost effective. Basically I figured I'd either be hyper-focused on being a sports trainer or have a bunch of clinical pharmacy options. I went with the latter, being more realistic. Not saying I regret it, but that was a tough decision for me.
- Giroux_Is_God

(frank)in Jim Mccrossin over here

(frank)in Jim Mccrossin over here
- HOWSMYDICTATE

How cool would that be, honestly

Thank you
Depression is a brutal disease, and no one should make light of it
- BiggE

If anyone is ever feeling like they are truly in despair or that there is no way out please reach out to somebody. We like to have fun on here but not at the expense of anybody's mental health.
- Mordecai

Well said.

For free and confidential support, there is always the suicide prevention lifeline. (1-800-273-8255)

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

How cool would that be, honestly
- Giroux_Is_God

It would be awesome. Just think of all the know nothing's on a hockey message board that would ridicule you with every player injury

Well said.

For free and confidential support, there is always the suicide prevention lifeline. (1-800-273-8255)

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
- johndewar

It would be awesome. Just think of all the know nothing's on a hockey message board that would ridicule you with every player injury
- HOWSMYDICTATE

I would drink it up, waving my paycheck and the "Dr." in front of my name

Just to lighten the mood and and for no apparent reason....

Addiction is fascinatingly terrible. Let's learn!

The midbrain: controls 3 things, in this order. Water, food, sex. That's it. It's primal and instinctual. When you're addicted to a substance, drug dominates the midbrain. That's all it wants. Experiments have shown rats starve themselves to death because they pick heroin over food. Rats have walked over increasingly charged electric grates, eventually killing themselves walking over to the heroin in their cage. The midbrain says drug, water, food, sex, in that order in the addicted brain.

Pathogenesis of addiction: dopamine imbalance. When people do things, that sweet dank dopamine is released and gives us that "reward" feeling. Eating, playing hockey, playing music, drinking scotch, flying to Florida in the winter, beating the Rangers....it makes you feel good. Once this "dopamine threshold" is surpassed, your brain is content. But what happens if someone (frank)s with that dopamine threshold? What if it goes up? What if it takes more to get that dank dopamine? Stress increases that dopamine threshold, and if it so happens that drugs get you that reward....well...that's the basis of addiction. Your brain relying on drugs as opposed to more healthy ways of triggering that reward system.

Let's talk about cravings!: It's just a matter of will. Everyone can kick a drug habit, you just need to pull up your big boy pants! hahahahahaahahahahahaha no. Why?

The Frontal Lobe: Responsible for rational thinking. Last time I touched the metal part of the seatbelt buckle it burned the poop outta my hand. Let's use the belt part this time or Nolan Patrick sucks because he's hurt or I missed this stop sign last time because it's hidden by that tree....I'll definitely stop this time. That's the frontal lobe. Decision making, rationalization.

Let's talk about cravings again!: "You just have to dig deep and unlock the key. Everyone has it!" Well, brain scans have shown the frontal lobe does not fire during a craving, while the midbrain is lit up like Micheal Leighton in the Cup finals. What does this mean? Users do not have the mental capacity to think rationally during a crave (since the frontal lobe is dark) and are only thinking about drug (since the midbrain is firing). They literally cannot think "last I stole percocet I lost my job and wife and children and went to jail. I can't do this again". Interesting...

Long term maintenance: One of the more crazy things about addiction is the positive reinforcement of it all. For example, the brain craves a reward when stressed. This is why people smoke after terrible sex or locking their keys in their car. You know what else is stressful? All the pressure placed on the shoulders of people quitting. They know drugs are killing them- people tell them this over and over. Strangers on TV commercials say it...or worse...their children. Or their wife. All that pressure to do good by their families and friends who the user promised they would quit...if they slip once, imagine the disappointment. Isn't that stressful? So what happens when the brain wants reward during stressful times? The midbrain turns on...and you get a craving. All of this stress ties in with depression, etc that usually goes along with drug addiction. Oh, and did I mention stress is the main player in raising the brain's dopamine threshold in the first place?

This is why empathy is important, because it lessens the pressure put on these people.

It doesn't go away. It's a chronic disease of chemical imbalance. It can only be maintained. It's insane how the brain is wired.
- Giroux_Is_God

thanks for posting this. Some of the comments on here this evening have nearly brought a tear to my eye. I have personal experience with addiction and have seen it go both ways. The smart addicts "pull there boot straps up" and some just can't pull themselves out of the hell that is addiction.
I've watched friends succumb to heroin addiction. It aint pretty. My daughter was addicted to heroin in high school. she graduated with honors with a gpa north of 4.0.....overdosed and nearly died but got her life in order after a short stay in rehab. She has since graduated college with honors and is a high school teacher, She's married to a great guy and has two wonderful children {my grandkids}. Addiction can happen to people you'd never expect it to. Some of the commenters on here need to get their heads out of their asses. Compassion is seriously lacking in society today, and was on full display today on this site......Sorry for the rant

[quote=riverfly]

Nothing to apologize for. Thanks for sharing that story because it could help someone that could be reading the board and struggling.

Post more often!

[quote=johndewar]
Word up!

"I'm not mad. I'm actually laughing! HAHAHA!"
- PhillySportsGuy

I don't post often on here, but I read faithfully as a die-hard Flyers fan. Today I just felt compelled to chime in. I'm a guy who seemingly has it all: a beautiful wife, great kids, two successful businesses, a big house, a great education, a loving family, nice things, plenty of friends. One day I woke up in such a dark place that all I could do was think about killing myself. Like some of you, I didn't view depression as a "true" disease like cancer. To me it was all about mental strength or weakness. In fact, I didn't even recognize that I was suffering from depression. My family recognized it and basically forced me to get some help. Thankfully I did so before I did something drastic. I'm far from "cured", if one can ever be so, but I don' think about ending it all constantly like I used to. I also now understand that it is an actual disease caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. I'm not depressed because I was abused, or because my life sucks, or because something bad happened to me, i'm depressed because my brain isn't functioning as it should. One of my best friends killed himself about 10 years ago and I think about him almost every day. I couldn't fathom how he could do that to himself and everyone who cared about him. Until now. Depression is a terrible, terrible, thing to live with and i still feel guilty for putting my family through this. I've only told two friends about it, so this post is a bit cathartic for me. I thank those of you that understand and that have shown sympathy, empathy and humanity on what should be a fun board. If you know some one who is suffering from depression, or even if you think they are, reach out to them. They need you. If you've made it this far through this post, I thank you again and, as always, go Flyers!

I don't post often on here, but I read faithfully as a die-hard Flyers fan. Today I just felt compelled to chime in. I'm a guy who seemingly has it all: a beautiful wife, great kids, two successful businesses, a big house, a great education, a loving family, nice things, plenty of friends. One day I woke up in such a dark place that all I could do was think about killing myself. Like some of you, I didn't view depression as a "true" disease like cancer. To me it was all about mental strength or weakness. In fact, I didn't even recognize that I was suffering from depression. My family recognized it and basically forced me to get some help. Thankfully I did so before I did something drastic. I'm far from "cured", if one can ever be so, but I don' think about ending it all constantly like I used to. I also now understand that it is an actual disease caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. I'm not depressed because I was abused, or because my life sucks, or because something bad happened to me, i'm depressed because my brain isn't functioning as it should. One of my best friends killed himself about 10 years ago and I think about him almost every day. I couldn't fathom how he could do that to himself and everyone who cared about him. Until now. Depression is a terrible, terrible, thing to live with and i still feel guilty for putting my family through this. I've only told two friends about it, so this post is a bit cathartic for me. I thank those of you that understand and that have shown sympathy, empathy and humanity on what should be a fun board. If you know some one who is suffering from depression, or even if you think they are, reach out to them. They need you. If you've made it this far through this post, I thank you again and, as always, go Flyers!
- daddytc

Thanks for sharing your story! Like I said earlier, sometimes, you don't even know who you're helping when you post your story..

I don't post often on here, but I read faithfully as a die-hard Flyers fan. Today I just felt compelled to chime in. I'm a guy who seemingly has it all: a beautiful wife, great kids, two successful businesses, a big house, a great education, a loving family, nice things, plenty of friends. One day I woke up in such a dark place that all I could do was think about killing myself. Like some of you, I didn't view depression as a "true" disease like cancer. To me it was all about mental strength or weakness. In fact, I didn't even recognize that I was suffering from depression. My family recognized it and basically forced me to get some help. Thankfully I did so before I did something drastic. I'm far from "cured", if one can ever be so, but I don' think about ending it all constantly like I used to. I also now understand that it is an actual disease caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. I'm not depressed because I was abused, or because my life sucks, or because something bad happened to me, i'm depressed because my brain isn't functioning as it should. One of my best friends killed himself about 10 years ago and I think about him almost every day. I couldn't fathom how he could do that to himself and everyone who cared about him. Until now. Depression is a terrible, terrible, thing to live with and i still feel guilty for putting my family through this. I've only told two friends about it, so this post is a bit cathartic for me. I thank those of you that understand and that have shown sympathy, empathy and humanity on what should be a fun board. If you know some one who is suffering from depression, or even if you think they are, reach out to them. They need you. If you've made it this far through this post, I thank you again and, as always, go Flyers!
- daddytc

[quote What a pleasant end to the night on hockeybuzz....after reading a bunch of bs earlier......nice to see some "goodness"....glad things worked out. No shame to be "human"......peace out!!!

Hockeybuzz posters unite to stamp out harmful, backwards, and altogether terrible statements about mental health issues. ✊

I'm happy to see the response to such callous nonsense -- and the personal stories are so very much appreciated. The issue is a personal one for me too. Maybe those who wrote such awful things earlier have something to think on. Semi-sketchy Internet message board as this is.....there are good people here.

Hockeybuzz posters unite to stamp out harmful, backwards, and altogether terrible statements about mental health issues. ✊

I'm proud to see the response to such nonsense -- and the moving personal stories were so very much appreciated. Maybe those who wrote such awful things earlier have something to think on. Internet message board as this is, there are indeed good people here.
- Mononoke

It really is nice to see on here.
Thanks for all the positive postings on here.
I am 62 and have seen a lot.
I have tapped along the edge of addiction three different times. Coke and booze worked well. Drove my friend who was also my boss then to rehab and he had been wandering through Camden crack houses until I could get his attention. Horrible thing to watch.
I lost a friend last year to suicide. I lost a friend four years ago. My best friends son killed himself 10 years ago. My cousins son killed himself six years ago. My best friend in high school killed himself as a senior. (kid is the only person in the schools history that got 100% ON EVERY test, paper, quiz, finals AND DID EXTRA CREDIT. He was the goalie on both the hockey and soccer team. His father was in the military, older brother was in West Point and he had been accepted there as well. Nicest kid in the world) Pressure maybe? Finally my mothers father committed suicide. So four friends and two family members that I lost and couldn't do anything about. No one saw this coming.
Diseases are terrible things to see. If you you hit my age, you will also see the fun of cancer. Will maybe be fighting or a survivor. (yes) Lost someone close.( Dad, two uncles, MIL and four friends) or know someone close fighting for their lives. (my niece is fighting stage four breast cancer that keeps spreading and popping up).
Gotta say this took off on it's own. Thanks for listening.
Have had tears rolling down my cheeks the whole time.
Sometimes this world really sucks.

[quote=riverfly]


Hockeybuzz posters unite to stamp out harmful, backwards, and altogether terrible statements about mental health issues. ✊

Special thanks to both of you and GIG for well thought out posts. Those thoughts help shine light into dark places.

BTW, if you haven't lived it or experienced it"up close and personal", just STFU.

If anyone is ever feeling like they are truly in despair or that there is no way out please reach out to somebody. We like to have fun on here but not at the expense of anybody's mental health.
- Mordecai