Jul 23, 1:00 PM EDT

UMBC Baseball Alum Ryan Sliwak on PTSD, Depression, Substance Abuse & Coping

Ryan Sliwak, a UMBC baseball alumni and Ph.D. Psych student at Seton Hall, joins Ben and Max for a candid conversation about his experiences with trauma, depression, and substance abuse.

Ryan was young when his dad passed away in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Little did he know that this event would cause extreme trauma that he'd have to face later in life. Baseball was always an outlet for him to shine and excel, but what happens when that outlet starts becoming part of the issue? Hear more about it on this week's episode of The Line-Up.

About Ben Ruvo

Ben Ruvo is a student-athlete at Washington College on the East Coast of Maryland and founder of OpenMindGymm — a mental health advocacy group for student athletes. Through his organization, he is hoping to spread awareness of mental challenges faced by today's college students and help fund nonprofits who are making a difference in the space.

About The Line-Up

College athletes have a lot on their plate — maintaining good grades, making it to early-morning practices, traveling to games, attempting to have a social life. Amidst it all, mental health often gets forgotten. Ben and Max Ruvo want to change that.

Learning to deal with the mental hurdles in sports, the two college athletes are looking to change the way mental health is addressed in highly competitive athletic spaces. Join them for an ongoing Q&A series featuring fellow athletes, coaches and advocates breaking down their personal experiences and offering advice for young people battling similar challenges.

Season 1 of The Line Up was hosted via YouTube with Ben Ruvo and Derek Gold as hosts. Season 2 is now a podcast hosted by Ben and Max. Find it on Apple, Spotify and other leading platforms.

Original Series

Support our work

We’re on a mission to change how the world perceives mental health.