Malin Fransson: Finally leads Hedströms word about mental illness to act

It has taken almost 13 years, but finally we listen to really what ik has to say.

Finally understand more and more that mental ill-health, although the foundation is a societal problem, but that sport is part of society and, therefore, must also take its responsibility.

Finally realizes more and more to sport's essence – where performance often overshadows the person – can trigger mental illness. That is why it is so important that coaches get help to learn how they should act and talk in order not to contribute to it.

has begun to blow with increasing force was noticed when the NHL forward Patrik Berglund in the VLT told me that the reason he broke his contract with the Buffalo was mental illness. An answer that was met with love and understanding.

we can thank, among other things, Jonathan Hedström for which helped to lift the stigma around this.

Jonathan refused to be silent despite the fact that we did not listen. He did not give up despite the fact that we did not understand.

I ate lunch with Jonathan Hedström in Timrå ice rink.

He was back in Sweden after one season in the NHL to Anaheim.

During lunch he began to tell me about the tough time in the united states.

How he collapsed in the weight, how alone he had felt when his family during the season he returned to Sweden and how in the end he felt that the only way out was to go home.

I remember that conversation shook me, even if Jonathan was positive and said that he was on the right path again.

In the fall of 2006 was written several articles in various magazines about Jonathan's weight loss, but no real discussion on the topic started never.

met Jonathan and I again for a new interview – this time at a thai restaurant in the centre of Sundsvall.

We were sitting in several hours. For the first time, he told me the hell he wanted to believe was in 2006 had continued.

Jonathan told me that the weight loss had not only been due to loneliness, but triggats in the time of one of Anaheim's coach.

– Every Monday we had the weigh-in, and a Monday, I had gone up one and a half kilos. After the training I got straffåka before the other players. There and then I decided that it would never happen again. He would not win me over, told Jonathan.

With a few years ' distance, had Jonathan realized that it was not a coincidence that he reacted strongly to the incident during the exercise.

He had long had a complicated relationship with food.

– As a kid I was fat and when I was playing in B-juniors, there was a leader who told me I was too fat. There remained in his head.

for many years to characterise the entire Jonathan's life.

it was All about food and calories, at the same time as he is in the midst of all would perform on the ice.

Our conversation at the thai restaurant resulted in a long article which was followed up by several other media, but then it became quiet again.

No – in that I include us journalists, coaches and other players – put in Jonathan's experiences into perspective.

We let it be a player's history, and did us never about to really tell you about how bad the sports movement was to manage the mental illness.

would the Swedish ice hockey federation have leadership training, and one point stuck out.

During this training the trainers would get to learn more about mental illness.

One of the speakers was Jonathan Hedström – who three years ago got help on the ätstörningskliniken in Skellefteå – and suddenly something happened.

the Question was, and the change process could begin.

During the fall and winter, Jonathan traveled around with hockeyklubbar in Sweden and talked about mental illness, and on their own journey.

He has also worked and lectured at växjö university in Växjö, sweden and now also has the larger hockeyklubbarna woken up. Jonathan has, among other things, been invited to HV 71.

Even in the NHL has the silence around mental illness in the past been large, but where began this work somewhat earlier than in Sweden.

Wednesday was the NHL a part of the big campaign about mental illness ”Bell Lets Talk”. NHL-player shared in social media about their experience during the common hashtag.

it may be the next step in Sweden.