PTSD In Sports

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Post-traumatic stress disorder, abbreviated as PTSD, can develop after a stressful, frightening, or measurable event or after a long traumatic experience. The article “Athletes have high rates of PTSD” by Discover magazine, a reliable source, emphasizes that athletes are more vulnerable to PTSD than the widespread population. Cheerleading or gymnastics have the most catastrophic injuries, meaning injuries that could result in death, permanent disability, or temporary loss of function. These include spinal cord injuries, brain bleeds, and skull fractures. The estimate ranges from thirteen to twenty-five percent of elite athletes experiencing this disrupting disorder. In this highly pressured environment, addressing PTSD in these talented athletes' …show more content…
Having this complex disorder may also increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, or even issues with drug or alcohol use. When PTSD is brought up, you most likely do not think about the sports industry. However, as many as one in eight elite athletes may develop PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a severe injury, yet the condition is rarely treated. In the article “Simone Biles and the Most Human Meaning of Courage” by Marcus Thompson II, the lead columnist at The Athletic, we use the story of the very talented Olympian, Simone Biles. In 2020, Biles confirmed her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health while suffering from the “twisties,” a mental block that causes gymnasts to lose track of their position while midair. Thompson praises Simone for her bravery in openly discussing her struggles and challenging the openness surrounding mental health in athletics. He highlights Biles' choice as a powerful act of self-care and courage, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing mental well-being over outsiders' …show more content…
The article “Sports injury and stressor-related disorder in competitive athletes: a systematic review and a new framework” found by Pub Med suggests that athletes who suffer from sports injuries are more likely to experience abnormal psychological stress responses, which may become a massive challenge for athletes to continue their sports careers at a competitive level. However, there is a minimal understanding of addressing sports injury-related traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Understanding how to treat the disorder and comprehending how PTSD works play a key role in this situation. The article “What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?” by SAMHSA( Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) states that this disorder can develop in many different ways. You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as a war, a natural disaster, sexual assault, physical abuse, or a bad accident. In the industry, Simion Biles has found that the main cause of her diagnosis is the sexual assault of her prior coach and her sports-related accidents. As in “Predator-induced fear causes PTSD-like changes in the brains and behavior of wild animals,” the abstract concludes that studies have shown that PTSD in animals and humans is considered to be very similar. Using