The invisible injury
SPORT is something that is proven to be beneficial both physically and mentally within an individual’s life.
Research has shown the overall positive benefits of physical activity, such as increasing our endorphins and enkephalins, two of the hormones within the human body that makes us feel happy.
We hear many aspirational young people today say that their dream is to be a professional in their particular sport, it plays a part in one’s identity and it is often very rewarding and fulfilling.
Whilst there are many positive mental, physical and social aspects of sport, the overall mental strain that athletes face cannot go unnoticed. With pressures to perform at a high standard in every competition or game, as well as being deemed in a specific light to the public eye, add to the additional pressure of everyday normalities– such as work and educational studies. Every individual athlete faces something daily that is unknown and secluded to the rest of society.
Sport can build a bad relationship with an individual, athletes may be prone to eating disorders and they may struggle with body image due to feeling as if they need to look a certain way. High levels of performance anxiety, followed by deep levels of sadness or even depression if their performance doesn’t go as planned. They can develop a strong sense of uncertainty within their value as an athlete and this is what deteriorates the individual’s mental health.
Recognising the signs of bad mental health in athletes
Although each individual experiences symptoms differently, there are a handful of common symptoms to closely look out for:
· Changes in eating habits
· Changes in sleep pattern
· Decreased motivation
· Low mood
· Negative self-talk
· Increased irritability
Why do athletes struggle in silence?
Due to the stigma surrounding mental health in our society, seeking help is perceived as a weakness. Athletes are deemed as empowered and strong and in some individual’s eyes they shouldn’t be struggling or showing any type of ‘weakness‘. However, athletes prove that struggling mentally, does not make you weak. In fact, some of the strongest, highest achieving athletes struggle with conditions such as anxiety and depression and this doesn’t make them any less admirable. They show society that the struggles they encounter are only another hurdle that they need to clear!
In the sports world, we often see a significant difference in the support of a visible injury in comparison to what might be called an invisible one. Why is this? Both are extremely harmful, but it is the latter that can be deeply damaging.
The brain is a body part, it is a complex organ that controls every process that regulates our body, so why should it receive any less support and recovery time? We may often see athletes as physically healthy but that does not then mean they are immune to bad mental health.
How to effectively support an athlete struggling mentally
Athletes need a support network not only from their coaches and teammates but externally also - family and friends. Being listened to by people most important to them will often help an athlete feel as if they can freely share, what it is they are struggling with.
A coach can be instrumental in helping an athlete, they may be able to offer up advice within their own personal experiences or times that they have helped other athletes struggling. Having someone that an athlete can relate to will remind them that they are not alone and what they are going through can be supported and helped.
Integrating rest days and getting enough sleep daily is vital for an athlete’s mental health, as rest allows your body and mind time to recover from the physical and mental strain of physical activity. This needed rest will stop an athlete from becoming mentally exhausted and it will promote an emotional balance.
Positive self-talk helps to overcome negative thinking. Phrases such as “ I can do this “ helps an athlete to replace negative thoughts and promote a stronger mindset, which overall helps with performance anxiety.
Seeking professional help is crucial and it should be a part of every athlete’s training programme. Sports psychologists and therapists aim to provide athletes with coping skills, and specialised resources needed for the particular athlete. Therapists can be mindful of an athlete’s thought patterns and share techniques in order to help them. It is completely normal to need extra support, and this is what therapy will provide.
There has been a significant improvement in high - profile athletes prioritising their mental health and also speaking about what they are going through. A small fraction of these athletes would include Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Micheal Phelps and Serena Williams. These athletes are a mouth piece for those that feel as if they cannot speak out about their mental struggles. There is also an increase in therapy provided and there has been an important shift in the narrative of mental health in sports. Society needs to keep working towards the decrease of stigmatisation around mental health and provide support for those who are in need.
A few facts and the case study of Maddy Holleran, in the story glimpsed by Kate Fargan:
Statistically suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 and it is the third-leading cause of death among student-athletes ages 15 to 24. Throughout, reading books and articles I wanted to further research the severe cases within mental health – such as the suicide rates within athletes. A particular athlete I researched was Maddy Holleran, a nineteen-year-old collegiate runner who was very successful in every sport she took part in. When started preparing for track, the stress of competing at such a high level whilst balancing education and the consistent feelings of loneliness, overwhelmed her. Leading her to commit suicide. Maddy expressed months, maybe even weeks before her death, that she lost who she was as an individual, sport used to define her, but it no longer brought her that feeling of joy she longed for. Maddy was one of many athletes who unfortunately took their life due to collegiate sport and this is why we need to see a societal change in the stigma surrounding mental health in athletes.
“To show weakness we’re told in so many words is to deserve shame. But I am here to show weakness. And I am not ashamed.” – Mardy Fish