Junior Seau was one of those players everyone knew, even if you weren’t a hardcore football fan. He played 20 seasons in the NFL and was basically the heart and soul of the San Diego Chargers for years, later playing with the Dolphins and then the Patriots. He played linebacker like his hair was on fire, always flying around the field, hitting hard, leading by example, and genuinely loving the game. He made the Pro Bowl 12 times, was All-Pro multiple times, and even went to a Super Bowl with the Patriots. What people remember most, though, is his energy and passion. He looked like a guy who was having the time of his life out there.

Then in 2012, everything changed. Junior Seau died by suicide at just 43 years old, and it completely stunned people. What made it even more heartbreaking was that he shot himself in the chest instead of the head, which many believe he did on purpose so doctors could study his brain. When they did, they found he had CTE, a brain disease caused by repeated hits to the head. CTE can mess with your mood, your thinking, your emotions, and your impulse control, and the scary part is a lot of people don’t even know they have it while they’re alive.

His death really exposed how badly we handle mental health in this country, especially for men and athletes. There’s still this idea that you’re supposed to suck it up, be tough, and push through it, no matter what’s going on in your head. We treat broken bones and torn ligaments like emergencies, but depression, brain damage, and emotional pain get brushed off or ignored until it’s too late. For athletes, it can be even worse after retirement, when the game is gone, the routine is gone, and the injuries and mental scars are still there.

Junior Seau had fame, money, respect, and a smile everyone remembered, and it still wasn’t enough to protect him. That’s why his story sticks with people. It’s a reminder that mental health is just as real and just as serious as physical health, and in the U.S., we still don’t treat it that way until something tragic forces us to pay attention.

I want you all to embrace those close to you and tell them they are important and that you love them because just like that they can be gone.

Published December 10, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

Leading a movement like Collectors MD requires a level of consistency that doesn’t always come naturally. The work is steady, often invisible, sometimes exhausting, and rarely thanked in the moment. And yet—there’s a purpose beneath it that pulls me forward every single day.

Today we hosted our second Advisory Board meeting, and the theme that came up over and over again was burnout—how easily it can creep in, how quietly it can take hold, and how important it is to stay aware of the signs before they swallow you whole. It’s a reminder I needed more than I realized. When you’re building something that matters, especially something grounded in service, it becomes incredibly easy to put yourself last.

But this cause is bigger than me. It’s even bigger than Collectors MD. It’s about creating a place where people caught in cycles of compulsion, shame, secrecy, or overwhelm can finally breathe. And if the mission is truly to help as many people as possible, then protecting my own health—my energy, my pace, my ability to keep showing up—has to be part of the work, not something outside of it.

It’s in the late hours of the night—when the world is quiet, the day finally slows down, and that second wind kicks in—that the ideas start pouring out. But there’s a thin line between inspiration and exhaustion. When you burn the midnight oil too often, stretch yourself past empty, and set expectations no one could realistically sustain, you risk trading short-term momentum for long-term burnout.

Consistency matters, but not at the cost of collapse. Sustainability matters, because movements don’t grow from intensity—they grow from steadiness. And self-preservation isn’t selfish; it’s strategic. It’s what allows the work to continue long after the adrenaline fades and the early momentum settles.

This journey has been extremely challenging at times. There are heavy weeks and thankless tasks and long stretches where progress feels slow or quiet. But there’s purpose in the grind, and clarity in the reminder that I don’t need to carry everything at once. I just need to carry what I can today.

And that’s enough.

Because consistency isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about protecting the ability to keep showing up.

#CollectorsMD
To keep serving the mission, I have to protect the person behind it—and that’s the foundation sustainable healing is built on.

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We’re re-uploading every episode of our podcasts—one per day—to make sure our new members and followers can catch up from the beginning.

If you’re new to Collectors MD, these conversations are where it all started—honest, unfiltered discussions about the realities of collecting, recovery, and rebuilding a healthier hobby.

We’ll be sharing episodes from The Collector’s Compass & Behind The Breaks covering everything from gambling parallels in collecting, to mental health, to how we find purpose beyond the chase.

Whether you’ve been here since day one or just joined the movement, this is your chance to revisit the stories that shaped our mission.

Subscribe on YouTube, follow along daily, like, comment, and help us spread the message: the hobby gets healthier when we do.

Collect With Intention. Not Compulsion.

The Collector's Compass #6: The Bridge Between Mental Health & The Hobby

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

This hobby can be so insidious. But that's exactly why Collectors MD exists! 🤍

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, we’re honored to share a story rarely told in the hobby—the perspective of the partner.

Our guest, Ambre LaVanway, is both a collector and the wife of veteran hobbyist Travis LaVanway (@montananorseman), whose journey we featured in Episode #8. Together, they’ve navigated the highs of connection and the lows of compulsion that so many couples quietly face behind the scenes of collecting.

In this conversation, Ambre opens up about what it’s like to love—and live with—a collector. From financial strain and emotional burnout to rediscovering joy and balance, she offers a raw and deeply human perspective on the difference between passion and obsession.

We explore Ambre’s Daily Reflection, “A Shift in Perspective", where she writes, “Not everything that sparkles is valuable". We also dive into her unique approach to collecting, including her thought-provoking “Murder Shelf”—a collection centered on empathy, imperfection, and understanding the stories behind flawed figures.

This episode sheds light on communication, boundaries, and healing—how couples can move from secrecy to teamwork, from guilt to understanding. It’s also about redefining what collecting looks like when it’s shared with love, intention, and accountability.

Whether you’re a collector, a partner, or someone trying to rebuild trust in the wake of compulsion, Ambre’s story reminds us that recovery isn’t just personal—it’s relational.

Subscribe, comment, and join the movement. And remember to collect with intention, not compulsion.

Watch The Episode On YouTube

Learn More & Join The Movement:

Website: collectorsmd.com

Socials: hopp.bio/collectorsmd

Weekly Meeting Sign-Up: bit.ly/45koiMX

Contact: info@collectorsmd.com

YouTube: @collectorsmd

Instagram: @collectorsmd

Follow Ambre:

Instagram: @mznapalm_most.hated

Follow Travis:

Instagram: @montananorseman

#CollectorsMD | #RipResponsibly | #CollectResponsibly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y5ETIVEiNk&t=2780s