YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Hey Paul,
Just to let you know I quit floor hockey because while many people are great, there are just enough assholes that piss me off or could cause me to get injured. And the women push because they know they can get away with it. So, good strategy to just not play those games.

Paul, just play those women straight up as if they were men. It's your ice too, and you shouldn't be run from the rink by some chicks taking advantage of the situation. They came to the rink to play a man's sport, so that's what they should expect. Dish it out just as hard as they do, and if they want to throw down gloves, give them the chance. But mostly, you can just tell them you tried to be a gentlemen, and that didn't work, so they can expect to be played straight up, and get back exactly what they are giving out and if they don't like that they can quit. That approach should allow you to do what you need to do without worrying that you will explode. If you are really worried, you can inform your teammates of your approach, and to restrain you if you get out of control. Good luck, and most of all, HAVE FUN. THAT'S WHAT ITS SUPPOSED TO BE. Don't worry about what those witches think.

I'm a guy and that's what I'd do too. Of course I'd try to be nice at first, but I'm a believer in reciprocation, good or bad. I've spent my life trying to be nice and let others have a pass for everything, but society seems to not value this, so I've changed my approach over the years (I'm 30) to dish people's shit back at them, from traffic to cashiers, you name it. It sure feels better with this approach.

But it sounds like Paul wants to take the higher moral ground. Good for him. Hopefully people around him give him credit for the shit he's taken and choosing not to go down the cynical road I've chosen.

I think it was really decent that Paul took into consideration their potential issues and mental health problems, but at the same time, other people aren't objects we can exploit for therapeutic benefits. There's no excuse for the way they behaved and I think Paul handled it very well by refusing to play with them in the future.