This week, the suicide note written by Erica Blasberg moments before her death in 2010 was read in court for the civil wrongful death trial taking place against Dr. Thomas Hess. ESPN has more on the story here, if you are interested in the case and the circumstances surrounding Erica's death.
The Blasberg story has fascinated me on several ends. From a golfer perspective, I always wondered how someone with that much promise out of high school and college could not transfer her game to the professional level. We know now that Erica lived a self destructive lifestyle, which may be sad but is also not surprising for professional athletes, especially ones that were pushed into the sport they were competing in. I'm 26, and I can only imagine the lifestyle I would live if I had money at my disposal. Of course, the lifestyle has only come into light because of what happened to her. If she had been a successful golfer, no one would have questioned her life choices.
This story also fascinates on me on a personal level. I am someone who has lived with depression my whole life, and I know I constantly have to surround myself with people who are going to help me, and not people who are going to push me down the wrong path. Erica seemed to be surrounded by people who were damaging to her condition - whether it was her father, who pushed her into golf and (seemingly) didn't give her the loving affection she needed, or Irene Cho, who didn't want to push the issue for fear of losing her trust, or John Broder, who was using Erica for his own personal satisfaction and not helping Erica on an emotional level. This is not to say that any of the people I mentioned were the reason Erica committed suicide; however, they appear to be people who could have prevented this dark episode from occurring. Of course, no one ever expects someone to commit suicide. I'm sure if Erica's father or Irene knew that they could do something to prevent this, they would have jumped at the opportunity.
In the end, there may have been nothing that could have prevented Erica from taking her own life, but I do hope that Erica's legacy does not end here. We need to push for better awareness of suicide - the warning signs, as well as prevention. We must also eliminate the stigma that depression only exists among angsty teenagers and those who have endured severe trauma. Depression is an illness that can afflict anyone, regardless of their background. It is not something that should be shamed. It is not a matter of trying to get a person to "cheer up". It is a serious illness that should be treated as such. I'm not sure if the PGA or LPGA Tours offer support for those with mental illnesses such as depression, but I sure hope they do.
I am not going to make a comment on the case itself. Clearly Dr. Hess obstructed justice - he plead guilty to it - but I do not know if that means he was directly involved in Erica's death. Whatever the outcome, though, I hope we never forget Erica's story, so we never have to write about a similar situation again.
I agree with much of what you said and, yes, depression is a very serious and sometimes deadly mental illness. Indeed, Erica was pushed into becoming the best she could be, but that's what all fathers should do who want their children to succeed. Erica knew her dad deeply loved and cared for her even though they sometimes had heated arguments on the practice range. She also had an unnatural ability to act normally around others even though she may have felt depressed and sad. This certainly contributed to her severe mental illness not being detected by anyone until she took her own life. There are many incorrect public perceptions about who Erica really was, her relationship with John Broders (yes, that is the correct spelling) and what caused her to commit suicide, I am a friend of the Blasberg family and have intimate knowledge of the truth surrounding her life and death.
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