The Silent Crisis(Part 1); Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton Became Vegas Escort Shares Her Story

"When it came to the escorting that I fell into, I wanted to be number one. I didn't want to settle for just being the average escort, I wanted to be the number one escort."

- Suzy Favor Hamilton
Mental illness is a very sensitive issue among cultures because
of many related factors. But one thing is for sure; Mental illness does not discriminate. It can affect people of any age, income or educational level, and cultural background.

 To say Mental illness is silent crisis is an understatement. The story of Suzy Favor Hamilton buttresses this fact. She was a three-time Olympian. A runner with big-time sponsorship deals. A mother and a wife.

But she shocked the world when a reporter exposed her double life as one the most sort after escorts. The Olympic runner describes taking five clients in one day while working as a Las Vegas call girl-. No one could fathom how she got "that low". Is it the psychological demands of high-level sport? Could it be mental illness?

Photo Credits; REUTERS

 What is Mental Illness?

Mental illness is any disease or condition that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands
Continue reading Hamilton's Story .....
"The whole entire world was watching me," Hamilton said of the 2000 Sydney Games, as her Olympic dreams were dashed. "That dream of having an Olympic medal was gone and instead of finishing the race, like most runners would, I told myself 'just fall' and I fell immediately, it just happened like that."

In her peak, Suzy Favor Hamilton was described as “all-American girl” because she was living every athlete's dream.

But after her last Olympics, when the cheering ended and the time came to settle into a suburban life, she sought out excitement and acceptance elsewhere.

Credit: HH Private Collection via Smoking Gun

 The job of an escort, where she became one of Las Vegas's most sought after escorts. At one point, she was among the highest-ranked escorts in Las Vegas, according to the escort-rating Web site The Erotic Review. 

Related Story;"Inside,I am Not Smiling"; What You Did Not Know About Mental Health Problems

What Causes Mental Illness?Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors and not personal weakness or a character defect and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.

· Heredity (genetics): Many mental illnesses run in families, suggesting they may be passed on from parents to children through genes. Genes contain instructions for the function of each cell in the body and are responsible for how we look, act, think, etc. However, just because your mother or father may have or had a mental illness doesn't mean you will have one. Hereditary just means that you are more likely to get the condition than if you didn't have an affected family member. Experts believe that many mental conditions are linked to problems in multiple genes -- not just one, as with many diseases -- which is why a person inherits a susceptibility to a mental disorder but doesn't always develop the condition. The disorder itself occurs from the interaction of these genes and other factors -- such as psychological trauma and environmental stressors -- which can influence, or trigger, the illness in a person who has inherited a susceptibility to it.

· Biology: Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal balance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or are not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms of mental illness. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental conditions.

· Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as severe emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; a significant early loss, such as the loss of a parent; and neglect.

 · Environmental Stressors: Certain stressors , such as a death or divorce, a dysfunctional family life, changing jobs or schools, and substance abuse, can trigger a disorder in a person who may be at risk for developing a mental illness.(www.medicinenet.com).

Read Also;What has Psychology Got to Do With Your Health Anyway?

 Favor Hamilton’s sex work came without a straightforward explanation. “She was, after all, a much-admired woman with a young daughter, a lovely home in Madison, and flourishing real estate and motivational-speaking businesses ( Louisa Kamps ,2013 profile for Elle). Why does an affluent, semi-recognizable, married real estate agent from Wisconsin become a sex worker in Las Vegas?How did her husband take it all ?

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