EP64: Clint Malarchuk - NHL Goalie | Mental Health Advocate | Best Selling Author | Suicide Survivor
Aug 7, 2021
Clint Malarchuk’s life can’t be summarized in a few words. But I’ll try. Very successful NHL career as a goalie. Great sense of humor. Strength, kindness, and a huge heart. Rancher. Tougher than nails. Mix in severe mental health illness, anxiety, crippling OCD, depression, alcoholism, rehab centers, and a suicide attempt.
“I’ve had a lot of surgeries, a lot of physical pain. I tell you what. The most painful thing in the world is mental illness. I’d rather have my jugular vein cut again. If God gave me the choice “Hey Clint, want to have your vein cut again and get rid of this mental illness?” I’d say ‘Sign me up, God!’”
Each one of us is a puzzle, with each of the pieces representing a part of us; our health, emotions, work, play, interests, and so on, and we do our best to keep that puzzle as close to being solved as possible.
Wait until you hear all about the pieces in Clint’s puzzle, and you’ll want to know so much more about him, his message of hope for all who suffer through the pain and darkness of mental illness, and how his story can open up new doors and return the light to the darkness you or anyone in your circle is going through.
“The book really started the whole thing. I was so terrified when I wrote the book because I didn’t know how it would be perceived. I threw it all out there. It was pretty honest, pretty raw. It’s not just a hockey book, or a book about an athlete. It’s more of a book on life – a life with mental illness and alcoholism and childhood trauma.”
Yes, we recorded this live at his Canuck Ranch in Nevada, with dogs wrestling, the wind started howling and honestly not the best audio sound recording. But it was an incredible experience. I can’t wait to hear from you once you’ve listened to this episode. Happy listening.
“Wow there’s a lot of Clint Malarchuks out there. I’m helping people, and it’s turning into a good career as a speaker. I love it because I know when I give a speech, and there’s a line at the book signing, and people in tears and hugging me and saying ‘I’m going to get help’ and ‘You’re the first person that’s been so honest and open’. So what we do is suffer in silence because of the stigma surrounding mental illness, so I think I’m trying to knock down that door.”
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
0:55 – Intro
1:55 – Welcome from the Canuck Ranch in NV!
3:30 – Hockey kept me out of my head
5:00 – Clint’s book one of best athlete autobiographies
6:35 – Bernie Parent was my favorite player
9:20 – Undiagnosed severe OCD as child
12:35 – First NHL game
19:15 – Anxiety, depression and OCD combo
20:15 – Horrific injury to jugular vein
24:05 – Reliving the trauma, sleepless nights
24:30 – Self-medicating with 25 beers / day
25:35 – Horses on the golf course with Dale Hunter
27:00 – Joking with Ronald Reagan
28:45 – Mom - “You should be proud that someone wants your autograph!”
31:00 – Relapse started after Zednick jugular injury
32:00 – Spiraling down and attempting suicide
34:45 – The “Alcatraz” treatment center
37:15 – Public speaking about PTSD
38:30 – There’s a lot of Clint Malarchuks out there
39:45 – You’re Not Alone!
40:35 – A lot of people say “Me Too!”
42:00 – Why this tattoo?
45:00 – Outro
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