Mental Health in Sports Injury Recovery: The Impact of the Mind

Sports injuries don’t just affect the body.  Sports psychology is a growing field that has been investigating the way injuries take a toll on mental health. Today we discuss the emotional impact of injuries on the athlete and how this impacts their mental health.  The next article, we will discuss how overcoming these psychological barriers during recovery is just as important as physical recovery from injury. Learning how to cope and overcome these obstacles can help athletes return to their sport more resiliently.

The Psychological Impact of Sports Injuries

Athletes will often feel a full spectrum of emotions after sustaining an injury.  Recovering from a season ending or severe injury can be like the grieving process.  There are five main stages of grief that humans face: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  An athlete may experience some or all these emotions prior to arriving at the acceptance phase of the injury recovery process.  Discussed below are the most common emotions experienced by athletes after injury. 

·       Frustration and Anger

Athletes often push their bodies to the limit, so an injury that forces them to stop training can be incredibly frustrating.  For some athletes, the loss of control over their body with their injury can feel that their body “failed” them.  As a result, many athletes feel anger toward themselves, their situation, or even their medical team. 

·       Anxiety About Recovery

Many injured athletes worry about how long it will take to heal and whether they will ever perform at the same level again. This fear can start immediately after the injury but can last throughout the rehabilitation process.  This can also occur if the athlete has unrealistic expectations regarding the healing of the injury, especially if they feel that it should take a shorter time than medically possible.  This fear can make it difficult to stay motivated and can even slow the recovery during rehabilitation. 

·       Depression and Isolation

Being unable to train or compete can make athletes feel disconnected from their team and support system. Many athletes have never experienced time away from their sport.  This isolation can lead to sadness, loss of motivation, and even depression.

·       Fear of Reinjury

Even after recovering physically, athletes may hesitate to return to their sport out of fear that they will get injured again.   This apprehension can occur even after receiving full medical clearances from your doctor and physical therapist.  This fear is very common, especially after long recovery injuries like ACL or shoulder surgery.  Experiencing this fear can not only slow down the rehabilitation process while injured but also hold the athlete back from performing at their best once returning to the field of play.

Conclusion

It is normal for an athlete to experience a wide array of emotions after sustaining an injury.  The most common emotions of anger, anxiety, depression, and fear can be experienced by anyone dealing with the challenges involved in the recovery process.  Understanding and working through their mental health challenges will help the athlete not only recover physically but also help build resilience.  In the next part of the series, we will discuss approaches an athlete can use to overcome mental barriers on their road to recovery.