Royce White Anxiety Disorder: Houston Rocket Suspended Amid Dispute Over …

Houston Rockets’ officials announced Sunday that the organization would be suspending rookie Royce White amid ongoing debate over how to best address his anxiety disorder and overall mental health during the NBA season.

According to the Mayo Clinic, White’s condition, identified as generalized anxiety disorder, is characterized by ongoing anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities. It affects some 6.8 million American adults, or about 3.1 percent of people age 18 and over in a given year.

Though different from panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other types of anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder does share similar symptoms, including constant worrying or obsession about small or large concerns; restlessness and feeling keyed up or on edge; fatigue; difficulty concentrating or your mind “going blank;” irritability; muscle tension or muscle aches; trembling, feeling twitchy or being easily startled; trouble sleeping; sweating, nausea or diarrhea; and shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat, Mayo Clinic explains.

White’s suspension comes on the heels of rising concern about mental health among athletes and black men.

Mental health has a stigma that is tied into weakness and is absolutely the antithesis of what athletes want to portray,” Dr. Thelma Dye Holmes, executive director of the Northside Center for Child Development, told the New York Times last year.

Others say that similar stigmas are what’s keeping the issue from being addressed in the black community as well.

“Many African-Americans have a lot of negative feelings about, or not even aware of mental health services. They may not be aware of the symptoms of many mental disorders, or they may believe that to be mentally ill is a sign of weakness or a sign of a character fault,” said Dr. William Lawson, a professor and chairman of psychiatry at Howard University College of Medicine, in a discussion with NPR.

Overlap between the two groups — including the suicides of San Diego Chargers’ Junior Seau and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Jovan Belcher — have prompted officials to prioritize mental health screening among athletes. (Though some have questioned how effective the safety really is.)

White stopped participating in team activities in October, saying his mental health took precedence over his NBA career, the Associated Press reports.

“Just knowing what I know about anxiety and mental health, there is a side of my mind that can’t look away from the fact that I do think about it every day. I wake up (and think), ‘Am I cut out for this?'” White said in a phone interview with CNN, noting plans to roll out a campaign that raises awareness about mental illness and helps to destigmatize it.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are treatable, and the vast majority of people who suffer from them can be helped with professional care. Treatments include medications such as antidepressants and sedatives for short-term relief, and psychotherapy, which aims to tackle underlying life stresses and prompt behavior changes that may offer relief.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Related on HuffPost:

Which State Has The Most (And Least) Mental Illness?

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  • 51. Maryland

    The report shows 16.7 percent of Maryland residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 50. Pennsylvania

    The report shows 17.7 percent of Pennsylvania residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 49. North Dakota

    The report shows 18 percent of North Dakota residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 48. Florida

    The report shows 18.1 percent of Florida residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 47. Illinois

    The report shows 18.1 percent of Illinois residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 46. South Dakota

    The report shows 18.1 percent of South Dakota residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 45. New Jersey

    The report shows 18.3 percent of New Jersey residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 44. Virginia

    The report shows 18.5 percent of Virginia residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 43. Alaska

    The report shows 18.8 percent of Alaska residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 42. Arizona

    The report shows 18.8 percent of Arizona residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 41. South Carolina

    The report shows 18.9 percent of South Carolina residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 40. Iowa

    The report shows 19 percent of Iowa residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 39. New Mexico

    The report shows 19 percent of New Mexico residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 38. Minnesota

    The report shows 19.1 percent of Minnesota residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 37. Georgia

    The report shows 19.3 percent of Georgia residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 36. Hawaii

    The report shows 19.5 percent of Hawaii residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 35. Mississippi

    The report shows 19.5 percent of Mississippi residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 34. California

    The report shows 19.6 percent of California residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 33. Delaware

    The report shows 19.6 percent of Delaware residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 32. New Hampshire

    The report shows 19.6 percent of New Hampshire residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 31. North Carolina

    The report shows 19.6 percent of North Carolina residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 30. Texas

    The report shows 19.6 percent of Texas residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 29. Connecticut

    The report shows 19.7 percent of Connecticut residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 28. Louisiana

    The report shows 19.7 percent of Louisiana residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 27. Vermont

    The report shows 19.7 percent of Vermont residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 26. New York

    The report shows 19.9 percent of New York residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 25. Kentucky

    The report shows 20 percent of Kentucky residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 24. Massachusetts

    The report shows 20.2 percent of Massachusetts residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 23. Montana

    The report shows 20.2 percent of Montana residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 22. Alabama

    The report shows 20.3 percent of Alabama residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 21. Nebraska

    The report shows 20.4 percent of Nebraska residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 20. Ohio

    The report shows 20.4 percent of Ohio residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 19. Michigan

    The report shows 20.5 percent of Michigan residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 18. Kansas

    The report shows 20.6 percent of Kansas residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 17. Oregon

    The report shows 20.6 percent of Oregon residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 16. Colorado

    The report shows 20.8 percent of Colorado residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 15. Maine

    The report shows 20.9 percent of Maine residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 14. Missouri

    The report shows 20.9 percent of Missouri residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 13. Washington, D.C.

    The report shows 21 percent of Washington, D.C., residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 12. Washington

    The report shows 21.2 percent of Washington state residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 11. Wisconsin

    The report shows 21.2 percent of Wisconsin residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 10. Arkansas

    The report shows 21.3 percent of Arkansas residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 9. Tennessee

    The report shows 21.5 percent of Tennessee residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 8. Nevada

    The report shows 21.6 percent of Nevada residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 7. Oklahoma

    The report shows 21.6 percent of Oklahoma residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 6. Wyoming

    The report shows 21.8 percent of Wyoming residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 5. Indiana

    The report shows 22 percent of Indiana residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 4. West Virginia

    The report shows 22 percent of West Virginia residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 3. Idaho

    The report shows 22.5 percent of Idaho residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 2. Utah

    The report shows 24.1 percent of Utah residents experienced some form of mental illness.

  • 1. Rhode Island

    The report shows 24.2 percent of Rhode Island residents experienced some form of mental illness.