Jaren Duran shares his message on mental health
FORT MYERS, Fla. – This wasn’t your typical Major League Baseball player social media post.
Photo by Jarren Duran on Instagram
This message was not new. But it was a reminder.
Jalen Duran’s battle with mental health has been, and continues to be, a very real one.
“We did it last year, but no one really saw it,” Duran told WEEI.com about the message on the wrist tape. “This is a personal thing to remind me of what I went through mentally. They can’t win just by saying ‘fuck you,’ I’m still here. So I write it on my right wrist. And the reason I write “I’m still alive” is because I went through some difficult times that I never thought I would be here. But I’m still here and I’m still fighting. It’s like a daily reminder to myself that all is well. The situation is bad, the game is bad, but it won’t be as bad as when we were going through something like that.
“I did it right away in the spring. I was already planning on doing it. So the reason I wear that type of tape is because I can write on it. But I I’ve done it since the beginning of the season. No one really did it.” Sometimes I’d write it high on my wrist so it wouldn’t fall off when I put on gloves, but people seemed to understand if I wrote it a little lower. is. I have no problem. I know through Instagram, a lot of people have reached out to me through Instagram and told me how much of an inspiration it is. If they’re reading this or listening to this, they’re more than welcome to contact me. I support them. ”
Handwritten notes. This T-shirt of his is currently seen on Red Sox roster members and his coaching staff. And several different ways to approach each day. They’re all steps in the right direction for Duran.
The Red Sox outfielder revealed his struggles with mental health for the first time during a game. Conversation with MassLive.com, August 2022. A year later, he posted on Instagram: “I’m back in the same place I fought so hard to get out of.”
Now, Duran explains that accepting his challenges is also part of the plan, and that he’s in a place where he’s ready to deal with the inevitable bad days.
“There are always negative people in the world,” he explained. “But the positive things I’ve gotten from the fans and teammates I’ve talked to about it have been overwhelming. I just have to focus on the positives and take it one day at a time.”
“I think I learned something about myself and what helped me. I just went through it alone. I write things down now. I look forward to them every day. I write things down. And when the day is over, I write them down. I look forward to the next day. It always hit me when it was all over and I was alone, and I had a particularly bad game. At the time I was like, okay, I get it, now I’m alone.Now I write, “I can’t wait to get in the cage and work on this fight.” Your mindset will change and you won’t have to worry about anything else. Your mindset will change to one where you can’t wait to get to the field tomorrow and practice your swing. become happy. And it helps me make a plan so my mind doesn’t wander. It gives me something to think about. ”
On Friday, the 27-year-old showed how that process can lead to good times, as he racked up three hits (including an impressive pull-side home run) while displaying the mobility he had before the season ended. It was a perfect example. I had surgery on my toe last season.
“Before that game, I sat down with Rosie (Red Sox assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal) and talked about some things about punching the ball and not missing if you had a changeup or something. I was excited to work on it, and then it happened in the game and I was able to punch out.”I hit a changeup and got hit to the right side, and right away I hit Rosie. I was like, “I’ve been working on that this morning!” And last night I wrote, “I can’t wait until tomorrow to work on Trajekt (a pitching machine that displays videos of pitchers).” Because that’s what always encourages me.
“It always just pops into my head when I’m thinking I can’t wait to do it tomorrow.”
For Duran, he continues to be someone who takes every step of the way on and off the field. But judging by both the 27-year-old’s actions and words, things appear to be moving in the right direction.
“We’re getting better every day,” he said. “Some days it’s going to hit me harder than others, but that’s just part of the daily battle. I have a good group around me right now. There’s a good system that we’re working on, and that’s all I do.’ I’m happy to be here. ”
