Hopefully, many people know who to go to when needing help physically or mentally.
But the case can be different for athletes, because of athletes’ schedules many of them focus more on sports rather than their mental health. As of 2024, where mental health is becoming more accepted, there are new ways of therapies and treatments for athletes with mental illnesses.
Source: Harvard Business Review
Types of therapy (a type of treatment)
One way of therapy is called cognitive behavioral therapy, which is one of the most accepted ideas for people who have goals they want to achieve. Created by psychiatrist, Aaron T. Beck, this type of therapy helps the patient recognize thought patterns and behaviors, such as getting upset after a recurring action. With this type of therapy with athletes, athletes can easily recognize what makes them stressed and upset and learn ways to help deal with those stressed moments.
Another type of therapy is mindful sport performance enhancement, this type of therapy typically can be done on your own. This therapy is a lot like mindful thinking, where you change the way something looks to make it more positive, such as “I failed” to “I tried my best.” Overall this type of therapy changes the way the athlete thinks about themselves and the sport through positive self encouragement.
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When not able to talk to someone, you can develop a “self-care” plan. This can be anything you find calming or relaxing; which can be yoga, enjoying nature, going for a walk, or whatever brings you peace. In sports, there is so much intensity and stress, so creating a routine which is healthy for the mind and the body is the best thing you can do.
Source: Vecteezy
Another type of treatment for mental health could be using medication. There are so many medications to help different mental illnesses. To be given medication to help an illness, you must have a prescription from your doctor. Sometimes, for mental health medications you must see a nurse practitioner or psychiatrist to get a prescription.Talk to your pediatrician, doctor, or health provider about any questions.
What is being done to help?
As much as it is important to help yourself, it is also important for coaches and administration to recognize mental illness. For instance even having a discussion to the coaches about your opinion can truly make a difference about their coaching style and way of thinking. Something that is really exciting is that “The National Basketball Association® (NBA) instituted a major mental health initiative to assist competitors and coaches in recognizing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and to provide social support.” (American Public University) This just shows how speaking out can truly make a difference.
Never be afraid to express yourself and feelings. There might be someone that feels the same way that needs someone else to speak up for them.
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