PTSD: How Do Athletes Deal With It?
Introduction:
Trauma. This is a common experience that most people have to go through. There are many things that can cause trauma and it forces people to be in a bad state of mind. Athletes are no different when it comes to having PTSD and suffering from it. But what exactly is PTSD? And how do athletes who struggle with it handle their future? This article goes over these topics and dives into the minds of athletes who suffer from trauma.
What is PTSD?
PTSD (AKA post-traumatic stress disorder) is a trauma and stress-related disorder that can occur when a person is exposed to severe trauma. Almost everyone will experience one traumatic event in their life with PTSD affecting over 10 million Americans. PTSD can occur when someone is exposed to life-threatening, bodily harming, or sexually violent events. These events do not need to happen to the person for PTSD to trigger as it can occur by watching someone else be affected or by hearing it happen to another person close to you.
Symptoms of PTSD
Having at least 6 of the following for a month or longer after a traumatic event occurs shows signs of PTSD and should consult a medical professional.
Bad dreams
Flashbacks (reliving the traumatic event)
Frightening thoughts
Feeling tense
Difficulty sleeping
Avoiding places, objects, or events that are reminders of the traumatic event
Feeling blame or guilt
Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
Negative thoughts about the world or oneself
Angry outbursts
Trouble remembering moments from the traumatic event.
So How Does PTSD Affect Athletes?
Athletes are more prone to PTSD than the average human population with studies ranging from 13 to 25 percent. But why? For starters, sports are a main factor when it comes to injuries including ones that are life-changing or could cause death. Even though the physical damage can be healed, the mental scarring could still exist and cause athletes to develop PTSD. Athlete PTSD doesn’t only strain from injuries. Sometimes coaches and teammates are the reason as they can physically, verbally, or sexually abuse an athlete or even pressure them to work through injuries. The stress imposed by the pressure to overtrain and constantly push oneself can significantly impact an athlete. These challenges may burden the athlete, leading them to discontinue training or experience a breakdown.
Conclusion
Even though athletes are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, there are ways to tackle it and treat it before it can become a chronic condition. Getting a screening would be the first option as it is necessary to identify if a patient has PTSD or not. If a patient does show signs of PTSD, then consulting and getting help from a professional would be best and could lead to therapeutic recovery. This would include medication and a combination of psychotherapy and biological therapy. PTSD is treatable and no athlete should feel like they have to suffer in silence from fear of their coaches or teammates.
Sources:
Department of Military and Emergency Medicine. “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Elite Athletes : Current Sports Medicine Reports.” LWW, journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2021/12000/posttraumatic_stress_disorder_in_elite_athletes.6.aspx. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024.
Lucchesi, Emilie Le Beau. “Athletes Have High Rates of PTSD.” Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2022, www.discovermagazine.com/mind/athletes-have-high-rates-of-ptsd.
“Trauma.” Montana State University Athletics, msubobcats.com/sports/2021/2/1/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd.aspx. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024.