Have you ever thought about what it must be like to be an athlete that struggles with anxiety and depression? This can be a touchy subject for many people. I,actually, have been through this and have experienced this illness. I consider this a common illness actually. I believe in all athletes being pushed to their potential, but when it comes to start messing with your mental health, that is where we need to slow down and focus more on the athlete mentally rather than physically. “Not long afterward, Passaro suffered a concussion while playing at a training camp during her junior year at boarding school, which led to a cascade of her own struggles, including anxiety and depression. For the first time, I was having trouble in school, having trouble on the soccer field, having trouble socially,” Passaro says. “I suffered in silence for a little bit, but began to figure it out with the help of therapy and medication and talking to my parents”, said Leeann Pasaaro in Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a41696886/female-college-athletes-mental-health-crisis/.When one thing (soccer in this scenario) makes you struggle mentally, it is going to affect every other aspect of your life. No one should have to fight this alone. Your family and friends are always with you and will do anything to help you get back to being in a good mental state. When I went through this, I relied on my mom. She helped me get through it by visiting me and coming to talk to me to find a situation to end my mental pain.She is my rock and I have no idea where I would be without her today.

While attending Indiana University for soccer my freshman year of college, I became mentally unstable. I was very homesick. What made it even worse was I wasn’t playing. Soccer is what took everything off of my mind, so when I wasn’t playing in games, it hit me. I started to struggle with wanting to go to practices or even getting out of my bed everyday. It got to the point where I needed to see a therapist. I met with a sports psychologist and she held a session for me twice a week for an hour each. I felt like that wasn’t helping me, but it ended up in the long run. One session we talked about me transferring home, here to Evansville, and how that would make me feel. I liked the idea of me being able to come home and play for my city. Overtime, I thought about it and made the decision going into my spring semester that year. I finished out the year by just going to school and no soccer. I am now here at UE, playing with my best friends and am very happy. Sometimes if you are in very tough situations, you have to do what will make you mentally better and happier. 

“About 33% of the student or collegiate athletes experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, while 35% of elite athletes (players for Olympics or national sports events) experience stress, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health crises.Athletes are looked upon as role models by their fans and peers. As athletes keep up with the facade of being strong and exemplary role models, they tend to hide what they really feel or what they go through. There are two apparent reasons athletes wouldn’t seek help for their mental wellness: the stigma of being judged and the fear of being taken off the team.But when an athlete’s emotional and mental health is not taken care of, it will be reflected in their game performance. The lack of concentration due to mental health issues can either result in losing the game or getting injured. Athletes trying to be in a certain weight category like boxers may develop eating disorders, which can greatly affect their physical health. This is why mental health is important for athletes. It affects almost all aspects of their lives.” https://kentuckycounselingcenter.com/why-should-an-athlete-be-mentally-healthy/#:~:text=The%20lack%20of%20concentration%20due,health%20is%20important%20for%20athletes. Yes, I know that is a lot of information, but I thought it was very important to share and talk about. Most athletes want to hide their feelings because they feel like they will be looked at in a bad way. Athletes are supposed to be “strong” in every way – mentally and physically. But in reality, all athletes struggle with their mental health. As said above, if you do not get help for your mental health, it will eventually take over you when you start doing poorly in class and in your performances on the field. GET HELP! Everyone around you wants to see you succeed and do well in the sport you chose. If you can get help and see a therapist and doctor for your mental health, you are more than likely going to figure it out. When you figure it out, your grades and performances will only get better from there! Everyone is here to help the people, athlete or not, with your mental health!