What Mental Struggles?

As mentioned earlier, athletes struggle from a variety of mental hardships. I have already gone in depth on struggles such as imposter syndrome, but what about anxiety & depression, bipolar disorder, and some others?

Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety and Depression, while two separate things, are often combined. The textbook definitions of these go as the following:

Anxiety - The apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger, which may be internal or external

Depression - A mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest

Like most people, Anxiety and Depression come hand in hand. This can be said for athletes especially. Why? Well, athletes will always have a constant force of anxiety,  coming from a variety of things, which will be mentioned later. This anxiety, can be translated into the game, which is known as the "Yips", causing many to fail in the act they are trying to do. With this failure, many find themselves in a state of deep sadness, as they failed what they are supposed to do. To a Baseball player, this may be not getting a hit the entire game. To a boxer, it may be that they did not knock or outwork their opponent. Regardless, they still have this feeling of Depression, causing them to ponder their choices. This can lead them to have a poor academic performance, athletic performance, and even become suicidal. Sometimes anxiety and depression will combine, making the athlete's problems even worse.

This was the case with Michael Phelps. Phelps, the most successful Olympian to ever touch the Olympics in middle and high school was just a scrawny kid who wants to prove himself. So he trained constantly, hoping to improve his swim form and overall physical appearance. Yet, he constantly had anxiety due to his performance and fear of failure, along with other physical features he had at the time, such as being short for his age. This anxiety and depression carried throughout his academics, and at one point, he deeply considered attempting to commit suicide. Luckily, family members and others encouraged him to keep going, making him the successful athlete he is today. 

(This is a picture of Michael Phelps during the Olympics)

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder, one of the most controversial yet impactful disorders in mental health. Bipolar Disorder is not common amongst most teenage athletes who do not engage with other players physically. This means sports such as Tennis, Baseball, Golf, Basketball (for the most part), and Soccer (when played properly) do not have a high percentage of players who suffer from Bipolar Disorder. However, sports such as American Football, Wrestling, Boxing, and Martial Arts have many cases of people developing Bipolar Disorder. This is likely due to the head trauma these sports bring onto a person. Athletes such as Johnny Manziel (NFL) and A.J. Mendez (WWE) currently suffer from Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar Disorder, according to its textbook definition, means a chronic and complex mood disorder that is characterized by an admixture of manic (bipolar mania), hypomanic and depressive (bipolar depression) episodes, with significant subsyndromal symptoms that commonly present between major mood episodes. In simple terms, Bipolar Disorder is a mental condition in which a person can experience drastic mood swings from having major episodes to minor episodes. As said earlier, athletes who typically play physical contact sports are more likely to develop the disorder, with the disorder affecting them in many ways. But, the most important aspect for an athlete that Bipolar Disorder affects, regardless of academic and athletic activities, is the way it interferes with social life. To most teenage athletes, social life can be a make-it-break-it, as it allows for them to communicate with friends, teammates, coaches, and scouts. But if the disorder gets into the way, it unlikely, yet not impossible, for that athlete to continue to play without breaking themselves down. Ultimately in this situation, it comes down to your work ethics. 

Hyperactivity Disorder

Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD and ADD, is very common amongst athletes. This is due to sports being a solution to treat these hyperactivity disorders, yet they do not simply fix someone's ADHD.

A hyperactivity disorder is a disorder characterized as an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. This disorder is usually given to many as a genetic mutation, but can also be developed over time. The disorder makes you extremely inattentive and changes your focus to other things. So, academic performance and overall respect given from attention is lost from those who have ADHD/ADD. 

Yet, sports and other physical activities help with ADHD. Since sports release endorphins, a "happy-feeling" chemical, through working out, those with ADHD will have their symptoms/affects reduced. However, those with ADHD who wish to compete at an elite level still have a disadvantage. This is due to the lack of focus the disorder gives, making it very difficult for them to learn and improve their athletic performance through practice and in games. Still, there are professional athletes who have ADHD today, and were able to compete at the highest level by pushing through. For instance, Australian Woman's Tennis Player Daria Saville suffered from ADHD. Unknown throughout a small portion of her life, Saville had ADHD and struggled with certain tasks. She was soon diagnosed and introduced to sports as a form of therapy. Eventually, she fell in love with the sport and went professional through her hard work. 

Yet, how do these athletes, and in general, teenage athletes develop these mental struggles (without them being genetic)?