After decades of helping people recover from substance use disorders and mental health issues, I have personally witnessed that athletes are highly susceptible to mental and behavioral disorders.
Recently, it was upsetting to read about gridiron hero Everson Griffen acting erratically and barricading himself in his house. I could only imagine how isolated and upset he must have felt. Thankfully, he is getting the help he needs and his organization, the Minnesota Vikings, have released very supportive statements. We have made great progress in this area, but there’s a long way to go.
Emphasizing Mental Health in the High School and Collegiate Systems
While less than one percent of the population becomes professional athlete, there are hundreds of thousands who participate as amateurs in college, and many multiples of that participate in high school athletics. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, (NFHS) there are almost 8 million young men and women participating in organized high school athletics (as of 2018).
It would make a great impact if we emphasized ‘educating the educators’ at the high school and collegiate levels how to identify and address burgeoning mental health issues in our nation’s youth.
Also, at the High School and Collegiate levels, there are governing bodies that provide a structure through which we have the opportunity organize and disseminate educational training and support. The NFHS provides guidance and structure to high school athletics and activities in it’s “51 member states.”
The governing body for virtually all organized college sports is the NCAA, and this organization’s structure provides the opportunity to improve the coaches’ awareness of mental health symptoms and their skillset for responding to them.
What Do We Teach the Coaches?
If I had the opportunity to hold court with the nation’s coaches of student athletes, I’d probably focus on de-stigmatization of mental health issues and educating them on the symptoms to look out for. Then, a particular emphasis on recognizing and addressing eating disorders and substance use disorders.
Stress and Secrecy are the Enemies
Stress: Physical stress and mental stress do great damage to our nation’s young athletes, and these can have deadly results. There is a culture in many sports to “push through injury,” and sometimes the body is pushed to its limits and breaks, and the result is that the athlete is taken out of competition which can be emotionally devastating.
Secrecy: The culture of ‘overcoming weakness’ has led to our nation’s young athletes keeping dangerous secrets. There’s a stigma to suffering from discouragement, depression, and anxiety. But when athletes are experiencing these emotions, they need the support of their coaches and facilitators the most. Coaches should encourage and reward athletes for seeking support. This effort could be bolstered by educating coaches what signs to look for, in particular:
- Excessive worry
- Extreme mood changes (including “highs” as well as lows)
- Withdrawal from social activities outside of athletics
- Overuse of substances like alcohol drugs
- Stress-related ailments without obvious caiuses (headaches and stomach ache)
- Over-reaction to daily problems and stress
Eating and Substance Abuse Disorders are Deadly
Anorexia and bulimia are deadly and while traditionally associated with female students, are being experienced by males at an increased rate. Our nation’s coaches need to be educated about these disorders and what to do when they suspect one of their athletes is engaging in disordered eating. Clementine Twin Lakes offer residential treatment and telemedicine mental health medication management for adolescent girls seeking treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and exercise addiction. A team of experienced and compassionate providers who specialize in treating mental health disorders through telemedicine mental health medication management can help people who experience eating disorders.
Substance abuse among teens is at an all-time high, as are overdoses. There are many factors that contribute to this, but more than ever, prescription medications are the culprit. When athletes are encouraged to push their bodies to the limit, injuries frequently occur. What’s more, painkillers like opioids can help athletes temporarily ignore injuries and continue competition.
Coaches should be experts on the dangers of prescription drug use and abuse, and they should impart this knowledge to the compressible athletes, while sending the message that if there is any struggle with the use of substances, they can get nonjudgmental help and support.
Help and Hope are Widely Available
More than anything, the message we need to impart to our young athletes is that help is readily available. While the individual’s problems feel unique and insurmountable in their own head, many of these disorders present themselves in similar ways across populations. This is a good thing, because when the athlete seeks the help of a trained mental health professional, the counselor will recognize the symptoms and have a plan ready to start the process of recovery. Seeking help is courageous and should be encouraged and applauded in our nation’s young athletes.
About the Author
Scott H. Silverman has been fighting against addiction for almost 40 years. He is the author of The Opioid Epidemic and the CEO of Confidential Recovery, an outpatient rehab in San Diego
