Michael Ryder plays with a heavy heart as troubled brother Daniel struggles

[Where's Wellwood]

Players in the NHL lead a high-profile, glamorous life for as long as their careers last.

But money can't buy happiness. Or good fortune for those you love. New Jersey Devils right-wingerMichael Ryder, born and raised in Bonavista, Nfld., plays with a heavy heart.

His brother Daniel, seven years younger and once considered a far finer NHL prospect than his big brother, is at home with their parents in Bonavista, suffering from psychosis so severe it doesn't seem as though anything is helping.

The Ryder family's story was brought to light Monday in a story by Rich Chere for NJ.com, the online hub for a chain of New Jersey newspapers, including the Newark Star-Ledger.

It's a heartbreaker. Daniel, now 27, was the most valuable player in the 2006 OHL playoffs for the Peterborough Petes, after being drafted in the third round by the Calgary Flames in 2005 (brother Michael was an eight-round pick by the Canadiens in 1998). He piled up over 300 points in four seasons in junior.

"He was perfect. Outgoing, always on the go,” Ryder said, describing his little brother as a youngster. “Then, all of a sudden things just changed. I don’t know what happened.”

Things seemed to go off the rails fairly quickly after that. Daniel Ryder missed the Flames' summer development camp and reported late for his first NHL training camp, for what were termed "personal issues." He lasted just six games with the Flames' minor-league affiliate in Quad City before he was suspended.

Daniel Ryder with the OHL's Plymouth Whalers in 2007. He finished out his junior career there after 3 1/2 seasons …Two years later, he was on a tryout with the Bruins' farm team in Providence, when brother Michael was playing for Boston. That didn't last long, either. And six months later he ended up in court back home, being tried on charges of armed robbery of a convenience store. He ended up being found not guilty because of lack of evidence, even though he had originally turned himself into the RCMP.

Yahoo!'s Neate Sager blogged about it at the time.

That was four years ago. There was some media attention on it then, but Michael Ryder was not comfortable talking about it. This week, he opened up.

Since then, it's been a struggle for the family. Ryder tries to help when he's home in Newfoundland during the off-seasons, but the responsibiity falls upon their parents, as Daniel lives with them.

“He would hear voices telling him to do stuff. That’s tough. I talked to him, but he’s a pretty stubborn kid. You couldn’t really talk to him. He was going to do his own thing,” Ryder told NJ.com. “With his mental issues, you don’t really know what he was thinking. It’s tough. He’s been on so many different meds and nothing really seems to make him get past that.”

More frustrating is that no treatment has been found to be effective. Ryder said Daniel has been on many different medications, but there hasn't been any progress. He was withdrawn and uncommunicative four years ago when his legal troubles came to a head; he seems to be the same today.

““It’s tough because you have a brother but you don’t really have a brother. He has psychosis, OCD, anxiety, all of it. He’s on all different kinds of meds but nothing really seems to help," Ryder told NJ.com. "We’re hoping, but he still seems to be in the same boat. He doesn’t do anything. I don’t know if he still hears voices in his head or not. He probably still does, but he doesn’t express himself, so we don’t know. He doesn’t say anything.”

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/nhler-michael-ryder-plays-on--with-a-heavy-heart-as-troubled-brother-daniel-struggles-223640624.html;_ylt=AwrTVpGk9D1UbhAA9wAhYQM6;_ylu=X3oDMTE4NWRia245BG1pdANCbG9ncyBJbmRleARwb3MDMQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nSW5kZXg-;_ylg=X3oDMTFpZ3NhamhmBGludGwDY2EEbGFuZwNlbi1jYQRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANibG9nBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

Does anyone remember there being any hype for Daniel Ryder? Back in 2005 when he was drafted, I wasn't following hockey seriously enough that I would care about the draft.

Shame that a hockey talent would be lost this way. It probably won't ever be known whether it was drugs, genetics, a brain injury sustained from hockey, or something else that caused him to go south so suddenly.

I wish all the best for the Ryder family.

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

I do know the Flames and fans were high on him as he looked to be a promising player when first drafted.

Sad to hear, thoughts and prayers to him hoping he gets better.

[Gross-Misconduct]

Shame that a hockey talent would be lost this way. It probably won't ever be known whether it was drugs, genetics, a brain injury sustained from

This is a shame period. Doesnt matter if he's a hockey player or not. Sad story but not uncommon. I hope he gets the right medication so he can live a decent life.

[Bissurnette]

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/nhler-michael-ryder-plays-on--with-a-heavy-heart-as-troubled-brother-daniel-struggles-223640624.html;_ylt=AwrTVpGk9D1UbhAA9wAhYQM6;_ylu=X3oDMTE4NWRia245BG1pdANCbG9ncyBJbmRleARwb3MDMQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nSW5kZXg-;_ylg=X3oDMTFpZ3NhamhmBGludGwDY2EEbGFuZwNlbi1jYQRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANibG9nBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

Does anyone remember there being any hype for Daniel Ryder? Back in 2005 when he was drafted, I wasn't following hockey seriously enough that I would care about the draft.

Shame that a hockey talent would be lost this way. It probably won't ever be known whether it was drugs, genetics, a brain injury sustained from hockey, or something else that caused him to go south so suddenly.

I wish all the best for the Ryder family.

Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. Hope he gets better soon, mental disorders are really hard to deal with for everybody involved.

I don't know why the bolded line above bugged me, I know you meant well but it just bothered me that it's your first comment about the whole situation. It's a shame that a young person's life is affected this way, don't really care too much about his hockey talent when he's struggling with his life.

EDIT: WOW ^ GM just beat me to it

[nazzyrulesall]

This hits home for me since I recently went through psychosis. I couldn't work and am currently on disability because of it.

Psychosis is craaazy. For me it was quite an ineffable experience but I will try to put it into words. I felt really great, like 150% better than the best day ever experienced normally and that was all the time. I was overflowing with energy, I didn't even feel the need to sleep and I didn't sleep most nights. I was hallucinating, both visually and audibly. The visual hallucinations were like seeing colours that were not there and see what I can only describe as "energy fields" around people, some people had exceptionally strong "fields" . The auditory hallucinations was a "voice" I would hear literally every minute. This wasn't a usual self-talk minds voice but rather a clear, distinct different voice that would say things I never could imagine by myself.

The worst part was I thought I was normal during my episode. I was a completely normal person before and after my episode, so I can't stress this point enough. I thought it was normal to think that I was chosen by god, hearing his voice. I only went to the hospital after being urged to go by family members and close friends who told me I was not acting normally. Even when I was in the psych ward, I still thought I was normal.

Even after being released after 5 weeks in the psych ward, it took about 2 more months and a lot of antipsychotic medication for me to feel somewhat normal and to eliminate the visual and auditory hallucinations and many more months to finally feel like my normal self and be able to have social conversations with others without feeling anxious.

There is MUCH more details to the story I left out that are personal that I haven't even told my family yet, maybe never will, but like I say undergoing psychosis is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life, my prayers are with Daniel Ryder.

[bieskajuice]

This hits home for me since I recently went through psychosis. I couldn't work and am currently on disability because of it.

Psychosis is craaazy. For me it was quite an ineffable experience but I will try to put it into words. I felt really great, like 150% better than the best day ever experienced normally and that was all the time. I was overflowing with energy, I didn't even feel the need to sleep and I didn't sleep most nights. I was hallucinating, both visually and audibly. The visual hallucinations were like seeing colours that were not there and see what I can only describe as "energy fields" around people, some people had exceptionally strong "fields" . The auditory hallucinations was a "voice" I would hear literally every minute. This wasn't a usual self-talk minds voice but rather a clear, distinct different voice that would say things I never could imagine by myself.

The worst part was I thought I was normal during my episode. I was a completely normal person before and after my episode, so I can't stress this point enough. I thought it was normal to think that I was chosen by god, hearing his voice. I only went to the hospital after being urged to go by family members and close friends who told me I was not acting normally. Even when I was in the psych ward, I still thought I was normal.

Even after being released after 5 weeks in the psych ward, it took about 2 more months and a lot of antipsychotic medication for me to feel somewhat normal and to eliminate the visual and auditory hallucinations and many more months to finally feel like my normal self and be able to have social conversations with others without feeling anxious.

There is MUCH more details to the story I left out that are personal that I haven't even told my family yet, maybe never will, but like I say undergoing psychosis is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life, my prayers are with Daniel Ryder.

Wow, one of the best posts I've seen on CDC! I hope things keep on getting better and stay better for you!

Does anyone else have a psychosis story to share?

Edit: ^What kind of medication are you currently on?

[nazzyrulesall]

Wow, one of the best posts I've seen on CDC! I hope things keep on getting better and stay better for you!

Does anyone else have a psychosis story to share?

Edit: ^What kind of medication are you currently on?

My docter tapered me off of Olanzapine, which was one of three medications that I tried. Like I said I was tapered off of it and haven't been on any kind of prescription medication now for 6 months.

Edit: Added the word haven't

[Brick Tamland]

This hits home for me since I recently went through psychosis. I couldn't work and am currently on disability because of it.

Psychosis is craaazy. For me it was quite an ineffable experience but I will try to put it into words. I felt really great, like 150% better than the best day ever experienced normally and that was all the time. I was overflowing with energy, I didn't even feel the need to sleep and I didn't sleep most nights. I was hallucinating, both visually and audibly. The visual hallucinations were like seeing colours that were not there and see what I can only describe as "energy fields" around people, some people had exceptionally strong "fields" . The auditory hallucinations was a "voice" I would hear literally every minute. This wasn't a usual self-talk minds voice but rather a clear, distinct different voice that would say things I never could imagine by myself.

The worst part was I thought I was normal during my episode. I was a completely normal person before and after my episode, so I can't stress this point enough. I thought it was normal to think that I was chosen by god, hearing his voice. I only went to the hospital after being urged to go by family members and close friends who told me I was not acting normally. Even when I was in the psych ward, I still thought I was normal.

Even after being released after 5 weeks in the psych ward, it took about 2 more months and a lot of antipsychotic medication for me to feel somewhat normal and to eliminate the visual and auditory hallucinations and many more months to finally feel like my normal self and be able to have social conversations with others without feeling anxious.

There is MUCH more details to the story I left out that are personal that I haven't even told my family yet, maybe never will, but like I say undergoing psychosis is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life, my prayers are with Daniel Ryder.

Wow buddy, thanks for sharing and good luck on your road to recovery. I've had bouts of anxiety where you think it's all over. I can't imagine actually hearing voices.

[CanuckFanForever1123]

One thing in life that people will never understand is the battles we go through in our minds every day. Some of us don't go through a lot, and others fight day after day, week after week, year after year, and it's a battle you never seem to win. I have gone through bouts of depression, among other things myself. I have even been to the point where suicide has crossed through my mind several times before. I know that there are still demons in my head that I am always fending off. It is a really difficult part of life, and obviously effect some people moreso than others. Look at someone like Robin Williams for instance. On film, he always came out as this good, full of life, exciting person. He couldn't take the demons anymore a couple months ago. Former Hockey prodigy or not, my thoughts and prayers go out to Daniel and the whole Ryder family. Mental illness is one of the toughest fights in life, and I hope things will improve for him, and those around him.

[Canuck Surfer]

It's sad for anybody. Hockey player or otherwise!

Good luck young Jedi! And strength to your family...

[Bruce Boudreau]

Despite the efforts to raise awareness about mental health there is still not enough being done for Ryder to feel like he or his family would be judged or whatever to go public on this.

Mental health is often ignored and people often just focus on external health issues. You can't totally blame them though for not seeing the signs or knowing what to do since it is not an open wound or physical injury you can see.

Hopefully in the near future there will be more answers to this and other mental health issues so people are diagnosed earlier and can get help through cognitive behavior therapy before their condition worsens.