Ethan Bear opens up about dealing with anxiety and depression after coming out of NHLPA program 

Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear has opened up regarding his battles with anxiety and depression, which necessitated a stay in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Now that he's cleared from the program and has been a full participant with the Capitals during Training Camp, Bear is happy to report that he's ready to go, motivated, and feeling much better overall.

"It's like I'm seeing life through a new set of lenses," he explained to The Hockey News. "My brain, my mind, has never been more clear. Life for myself is just a lot better. I'm just really excited to play hockey, have a clear head and just have some fun, being around the guys. It feels good again."

Last year was very hard for me mentally, physically ... I've never been through something like that before."

Bear explained that he knew he had to do something to correct his issues, saying it was a hard thing to do at first. Nonetheless, he immediately began seeing dividends and couldn't be more pleased with the results of being in the program.

"It's a tough thing because we're in the spotlight, right? And everyone's watching us. People look up to us and kids, so we have a lot of pride in what we do. We don't want to seem like we're weak or less than what we could be," Bear said. "You don't want to lose your spot in the lineup, and there's money on the line, your job's on the line, your integrity's on the line."

During the summer, Ethan Bear and his wife, Lenasia Ned, welcomed their second child, a daughter named Bella.

Ethan Bear is back and ready to go

Set to enter his first full season in Washington, Ethan Bear has previously appeared in a total of 275 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, and Capitals.

He's scored a total of 17 goals with 50 assists but hasn't registered a point in eight postseason games.