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Steven W. Noles, Psy.D.
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Depression and Anxiety
Depression is often
referred to as the "common cold" of mental health disorders. The
bad news is that depression is prevalent in all aspects of our society
including athletics, but the good news is that it is treatable.
The even better news is that often it is treatable without the use of
medication. Student-athletes are susceptible to depression in a
couple of ways that may not be true for their non-athlete
counterparts. When a student-athlete is injured, he/she may
become depressed because his/her identity, sense of self, social
contacts, social support, and public feedback and validation are
intricately tied to the sport and all of these are threatened.
Participation in a sport for the student-athlete is not an
extra-curricular activity because it is too connected to his/her
identity. She is not someone who plays lacrosse, but rather she
is a lacrosse player. There is a difference and serious threats
to this can have far-reaching effects. Also, student-athletes are
under extreme pressure to excel both athletically and academically and
at times these will be competing goals meaning he/she cannot
succeed. This stress will cause some to shut down and become
depressed.
Anxiety is another problem for many student-athletes but again it is
very treatable. Anxiety means different things to different
people but can be experienced as feeling uneasy, tense, shaky,
apprehensive, and fearful. Anxiety is usually related to
performance and sometimes is really mis-labeled excitement. The
tricky aspect of dealing with anxiety is that we do not want to
necessarily eliminate it totally, just get it under control.
Optimal performance often occurs with a moderate degree of anxiety
present.
A qualified sports psychologist or a mental health profession with
experience working with athletes can help with these and other
psychological disorders and conditions which impair athletic and
academic performance. |