Athletes Depression, the killing fields

What is Athletes Depression?

I experienced Athletes Depression (A.D.) for nearly a decade. I believe this should be a diagnosis within the Diagnostic Statistic Manual of mental health disorders (the DSM). AD hosts a different etiology as compared to its main misdiagnoses (and most currently related) Major Depressive Disorder, ADHD, Bipolar, and even Identity Dissociative Disorder. These are the most popular misdiagnoses related to Athletes Depression.

In short, being raised as a high performance athlete from childhood, and playing only as far as high school or colligently, especially professionally, creates a 50-75% increase in the probability the athlete will experience severe mental health issues. The manifestation of Athletes Depression contains a similar and unfortunate common etiology that leads to the popular misdiagnoses. Childhood athletes to adult athletes create the individual to determine personal value by performance at much deeper levels. A mental manifestation of direct sports programming meant to develop a resistive human creates one who is less likely to ask for help. This naturally creates a cognitive dissonance toward any possibility of  “perceived weakness”. In this sense, I am categorizing the existing social stigma surrounding mental health. Meaning, most athletes do not seek mental health help and choose to fight it on their own. That combined with the lengthy exposure to hyper-vigilant environments and those environments giving highly rewarding states. This begins the conditioning from a very young age to need, seek, and cause the athlete to create hyper-vigilant environments and situations to return the body and mind to these rewarding states. Many times this manifests in very high risk situations, people and behavior. The bigger risk the better. A cycle begins to emerge. The hardworking, non fearing, non weak athlete fights for varying lengths and “wins”. It may even appear as if they are overworking, working perpetually or appear manic. Eventually the athlete will “lose” for various reasons, generally due to cyclic emotional choices, behaviors and self created environments. This appears as bipolar or unipolar. The “I lost” mindstate  can last weeks, months or even years. Due to value of self being trained to be measured in performance (behaviorally, cognitively and socially), depression and severe self judgement begins and can last long periods of time. The vigilance to which the athlete fights the depression may later be misdiagnosed as mania or ADHD, or they have an ADHD diagnosis that followed from childhood. Severe depressive episodes begin to occur along with the appearance of mania and other symptomatic issues such as addiction, violence and intense anger. At first, second or even third assessment, overtime the criterium appears as if the depressive disorders, or a bipolar diagnosis is most accurate. In reality the athlete is experiencing Athletes Depression NOT the above mentioned common misdiagnoses. The athlete is finely tuned and sensitive to pharmaceutical interventions. That is a risky path with AD. Athlete’s social development is another major factor. Their social acceptance, placement and identity is defined by the sport from a very young age. An athlete’s developmental life stages are more heavily influenced than the non-athletes. Athletes Depression has gone undetected and has caused the misdiagnoses of athletes and especially x athletes causing their lives to spin out of control. The athlete is left with thoughts and feelings their mental health struggles are different than any therapist, partner or family member can understand. They are right. So many athletes are left on the killing fields alone.

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