The psychologist explains sporting depression

Posted by RIWmag on 09 Sep 2015 /

Massimo Masserini, Italian racer athlete of great technical depth (master world slalom champion IFCA 2006, FW world champion GMaster 2009, WORLD CHAMPION GMaster FORMULA WINDSURFING 2010) But even clinical psychologist, Sport psychologist, Educationalist, Hypnotist and clinical sexologist, Professor at University Popolare di Bergamo Nicholas Flamel, has prepared its third episode for RIWmag. Given the tragedies “depression” which in recent years have sadly affected some former champions of windsurfing, and given the depression as a disease of society’ modern, RIWmag asked Massimo Magda to face so popular this delicate subject. Being the vast and complex theme Up as Magda’ by sports psychologist has agreed to deal with the case of sporting depression.

Sport is good and then constantly Sport means healthy living!
Sport helps to project their instincts. The brain of someone who does physical activity produces serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, all chemicals that help neurons to work better. But then why many athletes are depressed?
Several studies have recently shown that a constant physical activity can stimulate a lifestyle improvement in people who suffer from depression, but then it explains why so many professional athletes really are at risk for depression. The "major depression", Unlike a normal feeling of sadness or a passenger was in a bad mood, and persistence features can severely interfere on the way of thinking of an individual, its behaviour, mood conditions, on the activity and physical well-being, may occur initially in the form of sadness, and then there is a mental slowing, poor concentration, loss of interest in their own world and inability to think of a positive future, insomnia and even suicidal ideation.
There are several cases, episodes of great athletes who, After a series of successes or after a successful career, with medals and titles, you are in trouble, disappear from circulation, take the road of alcohol, drugs, doping and living situations of existential emptiness of which they cannot see a way out of. Therefore to be champions in competitive sports is not enough just to have the physique, but especially, have a good psychological balance.

The sense of vacuum has touched the lives and careers of many athletes. You may remember the depression in vented and alcoholism in the wild life of Adriano Inter footballer, But even Agassi tennis, the swimmer Jan Thorpe. Unfortunately in cases particularly tragic, You can get even to suicide. Recent research highlights the strong depression risk in athletes: about 25% athletes suffer from depression, and the percentage increases to 50% considering the end of their career athletes.
When a professional athlete lives and works with his sport, first person constantly threatens bankruptcy: a performance, a negative event, an injury, the failure to achieve a goal; constantly checks for each competition the perception of defeat. For those who do not possess adequate self esteem, they don't have a real passion for your sport, and not have fun all the time regardless of the outcome, the defeat may represent a failure of its own If ', their identity as a person, It feels inadequate, unsuitable. You enter a psychotic delusion where you question the result and not his person as a sportsman, but you get into a thought that demolishes the person throughout the whole life.
The personal experiences of these athletes, they are always geared to success and fame, is always put in the background, don't have time to cultivate healthy relationships and lasting, do not cure your inner life, and until it's OK the problem is relegated to a sort of remote corner of your personality. The psychological balance of the athletes can be compromised by:

Stress and anxious situations
the pressure from fans, Media, coaches and sports clubs, consultants
continuous changes of city and relationships
the attention of sponsors who are a source of income
the quest for victory at all costs (and research of doping)
the desire to maintain at all costs the top physical form

It would be essential to identify personal characteristics and motivations of each athlete, follow him constantly during his career, in order to promptly recognize any mood changes, thought, negative behaviors, that may be the first signs that evoke emotional and psychological state. If for example, suddenly and without major adverse events, the athlete changes its attitude towards sports, you feel tired and not very motivated in training, therefore fall performance, quarrels with coach and teammates, procures often accidents, jump training and competition, You must evaluate a hypothesis of psychological problems.
The Sport psychologist offers advice and training to the onset of any psychological disorder, as depression, both played in the specificity of individual case, considering the individual history and their experiences of the athlete. The simple sadness or a period of tiredness itself’ does not mean "depression", but they can be the first important signals to consider. Be high-level professional athletes is a great privilege to a few, but it would be useful and necessary addition to physical training, even your own mind, to get to know each other better, be aware of your limits, of their potential, values and then the right balance, but mostly I think it's important to play sports at any level to have fun, on that day there he enjoys more is better start to ask the first questions.