Former Blue Jays player Travis Snider documents struggles with PTSD
Of the many what-ifs in Toronto Blue Jays history, fans have wondered for years about what Travis Snider could’ve looked like had he reached his full potential.
Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2006 draft, Snider showed flashes of brilliance and his raw power that made him so exciting as a prospect at the major league level, but he never developed into the everyday outfielder he was expected to be, peaking at 82 games for the franchise in the 2010 season.
In a recent post on Twitter this week, the now-35-year-old Snider documented his diagnosis of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as other mental health struggles he’s had throughout the years.
About a year ago, I was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). At the time, I had no idea what that even meant. I only knew PTSD as something soldiers experience after surviving the horrible realities of war.
I have tried to be open throughout my career…
— Travis Snider (@Lunchboxhero45) August 22, 2023
“About a year ago, I was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). At the time, I had no idea what that even meant. I only knew PTSD as something soldiers experience after surviving the horrible realities of war. I have tried to be open throughout my career about my struggles mentally,” Snider shared on Twitter. “As a child, I experienced multiple stints in anger management and behavioral therapy. As an adult, I’ve worked with various therapists, sports psychologists, and willingly participate in marriage counseling. All of these efforts are to better understand the hand I have been dealt. To make sense of the anger that corses through my veins on a daily basis. To figure out why I can hyper focus on some things but will also disassociate with the best of them.”
Over five seasons from 2008-2012, Snider played 242 games with the Blue Jays before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the middle of a game. He also appeared for the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates at the MLB level while also toiling through the minor league systems of the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves before announcing his retirement in 2022.
“Trauma can be a very triggering word for people to hear. I know there are millions of people out there who have experienced worse things in life than I have. Many of those people don’t have the resources or the platform that I do. Most of them are unaware of how this affects their perspective of the world and how they view and manage relationships. Along this journey, I have done a lot of hard work and learned a lot,” Snider added. “These experiences have provided me with moments of clarity to a deeper understanding as to the generational trauma I was born into. It’s also taught me a lot about the choices I make on a daily basis and how those can fuel (and mitigate) the highs and lows I experience. Most importantly, it has created an awareness that I have a lot more work to do, and I need help.”
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