Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall discussed his battle with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in front of roughly 250 students at Harvard Monday night.
Marshall was diagnosed with BPD at McLean Hospital this past spring and has been very forthcoming with his plight to help educate people about the disorder and push for more research.
He said he hoped to "break the stigmas associated with mental illness,'' and told the students to "take the good out'' of his story and to get help if they need it.
"Without the help of McLean Hospital, I wouldn't have had the ability [to turn on and off the switch],'' said Marshall. "Honestly, I probably would be out of the NFL and I probably would be divorced. I don't want to even think where I would be after that.''
Marshall undergoes therapy to help control the illness and says "the monster is controlled."
"The Beast was out of control,'' said Marshall, using his nickname. "The Beast was scary at times. The Beast was untamed. The monster can still think with that same emotion, that same passion, but he has a switch.
"When I touch the field, I turn on the switch. I play with a lot of passion, a lot of emotion, the way the game is supposed to be played. But now, I have the ability to turn that switch off when the clock hits zero. The monster is controlled.''