Rodrigo Lima, BJJ black-belt and successful dentist, sent Graciemag.com this brave account. “I think my case can help people.”
My name is Rodrigo Lima, I’m a dental surgeon, specialized in orthodontics and facial orthopedics. And a good one! I have almost two decades on the market, I’m well known by my colleagues and patients and, thank God, I’m very successful in what I do. I believe I am one of the few professionals who still work more for love than money, and I’m happy because of it. But I have something to say that may help some people. I suffer from depression.
“Oh, but how?” people might say. “You have everything!” And I’ll go further and tell you I have the full package: depression, panic syndrome and agoraphobia. I undergo psychological and psychiatric monitoring. I am, indeed, privileged — for having the professional help and all of the necessary support. But that doesn’t stop me from having all the symptoms of people who don’t. But out of all the support I have, BJJ is the biggest. It’s impressive how BJJ helps with my disease. Yes, depression is an illness. And it kills.
Training, exercising is key to people who suffer from depression. But BJJ makes us feel different. Your mind gets ecstatic when you train well, when you roll well with your partners, and also when you get to thinking about your next chance when you train poorly. Yes, even when we get run over by an opponent, our mind can work in a positive way.
Wanting to do better with each training session is a motivational element to desire to do better in life as well. In BJJ, we win and we lose. Always. Both against tough opponents and easy ones. Like in life, where sometimes we fall before big obstacles or even trivial stuff. That’s why I often say that the best therapy that exists is BJJ, the art I’m fortunate to practice with my master, Alexandre Kaveira.
When you practice BJJ, you must not leave your psychologist or psychiatrist. But take this tip: Seek BJJ too, and the art will help you. I’ve practiced BJJ for 26 years and I didn’t know that by training I was also treating a disease. BJJ cures. BJJ saves.
If you feel you are losing a battle against your own mind, seek a psychologist/psychiatrist and a good BJJ teacher. Your life will certainly improve.
Oss!
