I think injury in athletes is one of the most mentally degrading things that any athlete could possibly go through. I have been through it, and it is probably the worst experience I have ever had to go through in my life. On May 28, I broke my fibula in my first summer game. Since I was a kid, soccer has always been my love. As I grew with the game, I realized soccer was not just a source of happiness, it was a source I could turn to when I was struggling in any other area. “Another problematic response to injury is depression, which magnifies other responses and can also impact recovery. Depression in some student-athletes may also be related to performance failure. When student-athletes sustain significant injuries, such as knee injuries associated with time loss from sport, they can suffer both physically as well as emotionally with a decrease in their quality of life”(https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2014/11/5/mind-body-and-sport-how-being-injured-affects-mental-health.aspx). When I suffered from my broken leg for months, I was mentally unstable. I was not motivated because I was so depressed. I was working so hard before I broke my leg, but when it happened, I was not motivated to do anything.
“Stress is an important antecedent to injuries and can play a role in the response to, rehabilitation and return to play after injury. The psychological response to injury can trigger and/or unmask mental health issues including depression and suicidal ideation, anxiety, disordered eating, and substance use/abuse. There are barriers to mental health treatment in athletes. They often consider seeking help as a sign of weakness, feeling that they should be able to ‘push through’ psychological obstacles as they do physical ones. Athletes may not have developed healthy coping behaviors making response to injury especially challenging”(https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3/145).
When I was injured, I felt like I had to eat healthy and barely eat, since I was unable to workout or do activity. It really messed with my diet. I felt like I was unable to eat what I wanted. I was unable to eat sweets. Here are some statistics I found.
“Physical injury can trigger depression as well as other problematic responses.n a retrospective study of Division I football players, 33% of injured athletes reported high levels of depressive symptoms, using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, compared with 27% of non-injured athletes.Depressed athletes and those under ‘stress’ are at an increased risk for injury, and athletic performance is often impacted by emotional or mental health factors.When an athlete is injured there is a normal emotional reaction that includes processing the medical information about the injury provided by the medical team and coping emotionally with the injury” (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3/145). As an injured athlete once, it was very hard to be happy. I had so much stress and anxiety and I cried nearly every day. I was upset. I was unable to do what made me happy and took all of my stress away because of my broken leg. My summer consisted of rehab almost every day.
“Injury is a stressor that has physical as well as psychological responses. The
psychological response to injury is important and although emotional responses to injury are common, problematic responses can be those that are persistent, worsen or appear excessive. At times, problematic responses can trigger more serious mental health issues including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use.
There are obstacles to treatment of mental health concerns in athletes, and athletic trainers, team physicians and other healthcare providers play an essential role in recognising and identifying athletes at risk for mental health concerns. Having a comprehensive plan in place to screen for, detect and manage student athletes with problematic responses to injury is important. Several positive coping mechanisms and interventions can help to manage the student athlete with problematic responses. Understanding the mental health resources available, making timely referrals, and providing support for help-seeking behaviors are essential for the sports medicine team”(https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/3/145). I felt like I was able to get through this injury thanks to my parents and family. My mom and dad were always there for me and supportive. They always pushed me to do better and come back stronger. They made me continue to work hard, so when I came back healthy, I was ahead of the game. They made sure I never gave up.