The Emotional Toll of the Olympics: What We Can Do About Athletes’ Mental Health
We need to have a serious talk about athletes’ mental health.
Many of us have enjoyed following the 2022 Winter Olympics and watching our world’s strongest athletes compete. There’s just something about seeing fellow human beings take on seemingly impossible challenges that excites and inspires us.
But in recent years, we’ve started to become more aware of the mental health toll of competing in the Olympics. Olympians, including gymnast Simone Biles, have been courageously open about the subject of athletes’ mental health, and how the fierce competition of the Olympics has affected their own well-being.
The reality is that although our Olympic athletes may sometimes seem like superheroes, they’re human beings like the rest of us. And holding athletes to a constant superhero standard may be part of what’s preventing them from getting the mental health support they need.
How Does Mental Health Affect Athletes?
During 2021’s Tokyo Olympics, gymnast Simone Biles famously pulled out of her team’s finals, citing mental health difficulties. At the time, she said: “I have to do what’s right for me and focus on my mental health.”
Other athletes who have struggled with mental health issues have bravely come forward as well. Tennis player Naomi Osaka pulled out of the French Open in order to protect her mental health. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has been open about his struggles with anxiety, depression and ADHD.
Although Biles was one of the first Olympians to openly talk and prioritize her mental health, the issue of athletes’ mental health, especially at the Olympic level, is not new. Studies show that anywhere between 30 to 60% of athletes face mental health challenges — but, in one report, only 10% of athletes with mental health issues sought out the help they needed.
It isn’t hard to see why. The world of sports, and the Olympics in particular, holds athletes to an impossible standard. Our Olympians are expected to be strong, graceful, and — in many ways — invincible. Since athletes aren’t allowed to show weakness on the playing field, it’s no surprise that they feel this pressure in their personal lives, too.
Because the world expects them to be superheroes, Olympic athletes may naturally have a harder time being open about their mental health difficulties, even to themselves. The rest of us are allowed to fall apart from time to time, but we don’t give our Olympians that same permission.
What Type of Mental Stresses Do Olympic Athletes Face?
Athletes’ mental health struggles can take many shapes. Many athletes live with mental health conditions like:
Depression and low self-esteem
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Substance use disorder
All of these conditions are treatable. But when they’re left unaddressed, they can start to cause serious problems in your life and relationships.
Athletes’ mental health issues might have nothing, or everything, to do with their sport. Some of the unique mental health challenges that athletes face include:
Performance anxiety
When you are representing your school, team, or country, it feels like the entire world is watching you — and, in the case of Olympic athletes, this isn’t an exaggeration!
It’s no surprise that many athletes face anxiety about performing well and winning. They may feel like they’ll let everyone down if they don’t. This pressure and anxiety may leak into other areas of their lives as well.
Physical injury
There’s no doubt about it: the risk of serious physical injury in most sports is very real. Many athletes may have an understandable fear about this risk, but feel like they can’t talk about it. Others may have already been injured, and struggle with recovering from this trauma.
Post-competition slump
Many Olympians say that they feel depressed after the Games are over. Athletes often train for a long time for an important competition. This training is rigorous and takes up most, if not all, of their time. After the competition is over, they may be left with a sense of emptiness or loss. This can be especially hard if they didn’t win or perform like they’d hoped to.
Lack of time for self-care
Being an athlete is physically challenging. Of course, in many ways, athletes are more physically fit than other people who may not take care of their bodies. But in other ways, athletes may not have time or energy to practice basic self-care. For example, athletes may not get enough restful sleep leading up to an important competition. Not practicing self-care makes mental health worse.
Identity issues
For many athletes, the sport they compete in takes over their lives. You may not have had time to develop your identity outside of being an athlete. This can cause a lot of confusion, especially if you’re at a point in your life when you’re deciding whether or not to continue with your sport.
How Can Athletes Improve Their Mental Health?
If you’re an athlete and are struggling with your mental health, you don’t have to go through this alone. The stigma against athletes’ mental health is strong, but that doesn’t need to keep you from getting the treatment you deserve.
Therapy can give you a safe space to explore the pressure and challenges of being an athlete, as well as explore all the other aspects of your identity. Some of the challenges you face might have nothing to do with being an athlete, and that’s okay, too. A therapist can help you loosen the knot of stress and emotional pain that you may feel, step back from outside expectations and pressure, and teach you coping skills to cope with life’s challenges, whether or not they’re related to your sport.
Meanwhile, the rest of us can help by not encouraging the image of the superhero athlete who’s never allowed to break down. This kind of stereotyping only strengthens the stigma against athletes’ mental health, and makes it even less likely that athletes get the support they need and deserve.
Mental Health Therapy for Athletes
At North Star Psychological Services, we have therapists on our team who have experience working with high-level athletes who need support for their mental health. We understand the unique mental health challenges that athletes go through and can be your partner as you overcome them — not as a superhero, but as a human being who’s worthwhile just as you are.
Simone Biles said, “We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do."
If you’re ready to protect your mental health and put your own needs first, get in touch with us to schedule a consultation. We offer individual psychotherapy for both teens and adults.
