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In the world of sports, it is not uncommon for one coach or another to tell a competitor, “Get your head in the game.” A strong mental focus is essential, after all, to virtually any type of athletic performance. But what if you can’t get your head in the game? What do you do when your mental game is off?
Athletes can struggle with mental health issues just like anyone else. In fact, the intense pressure put on them or the pressure they put on themselves can take a stressful toll on their mental wellbeing. A period of intense workouts and competitive events can lead to physical exhaustion, they can also lead to mental exhaustion and trigger symptoms of a mental health problem like anxiety or depression. The following well-known athletes have battled mental health conditions, often in public view. What they had to say and how they faced it may provide help to other athletes who are struggling with mental health issues.
Naomi Osaka/Anxiety
The second-ranked women’s tennis player in the world made headlines when she dropped out of the 2021 French Open, a decision that stemmed from severe anxiety at the time. Fans had an inkling that something was wrong when she skipped a press conference, which resulted in a fine of $15,000. What fans may not have known was that the 23-year-old Osaka had been struggling with bouts of anxiety for the last several years and that she experiences “waves of anxiety” before speaking with the international media.
Osaka decided to pull out of the competition after her decision to not attend the press conference was met with threats of expulsion from the competition. Osaka has only missed one press conference in her seven years as a professional tennis player. Pulling out of the conference was her attempt at “self care.” She needed a mental health break but was met with criticism.
After she pulled out of the French Open, Time featured Osaka on its cover along with a story about her experience at the Open and struggles with anxiety as well as bouts of depression. She wanted to make it known that “it’s okay not to be okay.” When you’re not okay, she went on to say, it’s important to step away and take care of your basic needs. Mental health is a priority, and she stands by her decision to step away from the press and the court in order to attend to her mental health wellbeing.
Osaka began seeing a therapist to help her manage her depression, and it has helped, but one of the things she has learned is that she doesn’t have to make her symptoms public again if she doesn’t choose to. She’s shared her experiences about the Open this time, but she thinks it’s important for athletes–for anyone–to be afforded the dignity of healthcare privacy, and that includes mental health privacy.
Brandon Marshall/Borderline Personality Disorder
Former NFL star Brandon Marshall began experiencing mental health problems associated with volatile behavior at the beginning of his professional football career, but a diagnosis proved initially illusive. Then, he entered an outpatient mental health treatment program in 2011 and was ultimately diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Marshall experienced difficulty with impulse control and managing his emotions, two hallmarks of the mental health condition. After a challenging season with the Miami Dolphins, he felt as if his problems were unraveling. His agent recommended that he get help, and he did. Marshall believes that treatment saved his life and he now speaks publicly about his condition and its management and helps to raise awareness for the disorder and mental health conditions in general.
Marshall highlights how learning to communicate more effectively and reaching out for help were keys to his condition’s management. He’s continued treatment for the last decade and hopes to end the stigma associated with mental health conditions.
Simone Biles/ADHD
When Olympic gymnast Simone Biles dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics, she made headlines all over the world. Her decision led to discussions / debates on talk shows and all across social media with many backing her decision and others condemning it. Biles said she needed to “focus on her mental health” and that she didn’t want to “risk a team medal” because of what she was experiencing.
The gymnast was diagnosed with ADHD as a young child. Hallmarks of the condition include hyperactivity and difficulty controlling impulses. In addition to this condition, Biles was among the victims of gymnastics coach Larry Nassar. The trauma she went through continues to impact her mental health with residual effects. During periods of immense stress, past trauma and its lingering effects can have a powerful impact as Biles has publicly discussed.
Mental healthcare experts called Biles’s decision “a rare opportunity” for raising global mental health awareness. Although the gymnast’s decision became a defining feature of the Tokyo Games, they inspired many other Olympians to speak publicly about their own battles. One weightlifter opened up about her own battles with ADHD and immense stress. Others talked about the “burden of expectation” and how it can erode their mental wellbeing.
Biles wanted to highlight how she feared her mental health symptoms could lead to injury. For a gymnast, missing a step or twist could lead not just to a sprained ankle, but a broken neck. There’s a whole safety paradigm that’s at risk when athletes don’t attend to their mental healthcare needs.
Biles, who has four gold medals to her name, reported that she now goes to therapy and has also embraced many different coping methods to manage her mental health conditions. She walks and uses mental health apps to help her during times when she’s feeling more vulnerable, like when she’s on the road for competition.
Michael Phelps/Depression and Substance Abuse
Even as one of the world’s most decorated Olympian gold medalists, Michael Phelps experienced such deep depression that he contemplated suicide. In fact, he reported that he experienced severe depression after each Olympics but that rather than attend therapy and manage his symptoms in healthful ways, he began to self-medicate.
Phelps used alcohol and drugs in an attempt to escape from his symptoms. It was after he questioned whether he “wanted to be alive anymore” that he sought out inpatient mental health treatment for his struggles. He credits that decision to saving his life.
Since then, Phelps has routinely opened up about his struggles with depression and anxiety. He has highlighted a key element that some people forget: Depression isn’t just going to disappear. Some people experience bouts of depression that could reach a clinical–severe–level. But some individuals experience more frequent bouts with little relief, particularly if they don’t manage it.
Phelps has highlighted the need for ongoing management of mental health conditions. Mental health is dynamic and you can’t always just “cure” a condition. Someone who is prone to anxiety or depression can overcome one bout only to experience it again later. However, with management, people can learn to spot their signs of impending symptoms and handle them before they get worse.
These athletes highlight how profoundly stressful it can be to play and perform under the bright lights and scrutiny of the world. By opening up about their experiences and explaining their decisions, they’ve made it easier for other athletes to share their struggles as well. The goal of these discussions is in part to encourage other athletes to seek help when they need it.
Of course, athletes aren’t the only people who face extraordinary levels of stress. The single parent struggling to make ends meet, the office manager struggling to take care of work and an ailing spouse, the first responder who’s having flashbacks from a traumatic experience–it’s a melting pot, this country of ours, and it’s stirred with all sorts of ingredients, not the least of which is stress.
Are mental health symptoms disrupting your daily life? We may be able to help. Call our helpline anytime, day or night, to speak with one of our caring counselors.
