In a post on his Instagram account, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen confirmed he has bipolar disorder and said he will become an advocate for mental health.
“It’s true I am bipolar,” Griffen wrote. “I will embrace it and I will be an advocate for mental health. I [have] been running from it a long time. I’m not ashamed of it anymore. It all started when my mother passed away. Went into a dark place, [and I] thought I was great for many years. I promise this time I will do everything the experts say. I love my family and I miss my friends. Thank you for all the love and support, but most of all thank you for all the prayers. #bEGreat#mentalhealthawareness“
Griffen has battled the condition over several years after a mental health episode in 2018. Upon his departure from the Vikings following the 2019 season, Griffen continued to have incidents including driving around the team facility last spring and calling Kirk Cousins “ass” on his Twitter account.
The 33-year-old returned to the Vikings this season and reclaimed his starting job collecting five sacks in nine games but Griffen posted a video on his Instagram account on Nov. 24 holding a gun and claiming that people were trying to kill him.
After a standoff with Minnetrista police, Griffen willingly left his home and was admitted to a mental health facility. The team has since placed Griffen on the non-football illness list.
